


The Fickle Fourteen

by RizuOnceAgain



Series: The Fickle Fates Series [1]
Category: Tokyo Mew Mew
Genre: All aboard the Hot Mess Express, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon - Manga, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Foe Yay, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Kishigo, Magical Girls, Romantic Angst, Slow Burn, Tokyo Mew Mew - Freeform, Unresolved Romantic Tension, can't believe i'm writing this in 2020, read re-turn before you read this!, tmm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 96,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25674910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RizuOnceAgain/pseuds/RizuOnceAgain
Summary: --With the alien boys now working at Café Mew Mew, the mews encounter a resurgence in chimera activity – but why now? Ichigo has fourteen days before Masaya leaves again for London – and between Quiche's constant flirting and her own worries about her future, she'll need every day she can get.--"Do you love her?"Quiche stopped in his tracks. All at once, a familiar warm sensation danced across his skin as visions of perfect curves in a silky dress flooded his mind. He was touching the warm skin of her waist; a voice like a melody, laughing like he had always dreamed of. That night, everything had felt too good to be true. In that green dress, she had almost felt like his.Quiche ducked his head and glared at Ryou."Go to hell."Quiche stomped up the last few stairs of the café as Ryou yelled after him: “I’ll see you there.”--[KxI (QxI), LxP] [Continuation of Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn Manga Miniseries]
Relationships: Midorikawa Lettuce/Pie, Momomiya Ichigo/Quiche
Series: The Fickle Fates Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150289
Comments: 170
Kudos: 61





	1. Here We Go Again

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT! READ BEFORE ADVANCING!
> 
> This fic takes place AFTER the events of the Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn manga miniseries released by original creator Mia Ikumi in Dec 2019/Jan 2020. It is a manga continuation of the plot of the Tokyo Mew Mew manga. You must read this manga miniseries before reading this fic. You won't understand major plot points of this fic unless you have read Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn.
> 
> To find Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn, just type in "Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn Scan" into Google and your first result should be on Tumblr. Click that link and you'll get a download link for the English scans and translation. Once you're done reading, come back to this fic and enjoy! :)

For the second time that day, Ichigo heard screaming coming from the dining room of Café Mew Mew. The shriek was quickly followed with "I have cake all over my dress!" and a bark of "Well if you didn't have your foot in the way I wouldn't have tripped!"

She looked at the clock. It wasn't yet 3PM.

Ichigo wiped the sweat off her forehead and dropped the notepad next to the cash register with a frustrated slap. Storming into the dining area, she shoved Tart aside, stepping in front of the upset high school girl with cherry cheesecake on her white dress.

"Oh my goodness!" she lamented, putting on her best, most pained expression she could muster. "I am SO sorry about this! Let me show you where the restrooms are and give you something to wash up."

The girl huffed and puffed about her ruined date as Ichigo escorted her to the restrooms, offering her clean towels and complementary desserts for the rest of the week. Once the door to the restroom closed, Ichigo let out a sigh and marched over to Tart, who was chatting with Pie next to the broom closet. Tart grimaced as he caught her eye. He crossed his arms into himself and righted his back as Pie watched with amusement.

"Who taught you to talk to customers like that?" Ichigo demanded, hands on her hips.

Tart blew his bangs out of his eyes. "Listen, old hag, I'm not here to be taking orders from you!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, you're not my boss!"

"I might as well be! I'm the leader of the mews, and this is OUR cafe!"

"Well Shirogane is my boss, not you!"

"Fine! I'll just tell Shirogane that you're yelling at our patrons!"

"See if I care!"

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, glaring down at Tart, who was still a few inches shorter than her small frame. Rolling his eyes, Tart stomped off towards the back room, muttering, "Whatever. I'm taking a break."

"You know," Pie started hesitantly, drawing Ichigo's attention back to him, "...this is all really new to all of us. I think Tart is simply … overwhelmed."

"I guess," Ichigo muttered lamely, her gaze drifting back to the dining room.

It had been just a few days since the aliens returned to Earth and battled the leopard chimera on the train with the mews, together as one team. Today was the first day Quiche, Pie and Tart were all employees of Café Mew Mew at Ryou and Keiichiro's insistence. After getting a crash course in what a café is – and what the wait staff do – the boys had been fitted in crisp uniforms they all hated in various degrees. Pie and Quiche quickly shed the vest that went with the boys' uniform, and Pie had adopted an apron.

All three of them, concerned about their unusual ears, took an injection of a masking elixir that Pie had been working on in the case they would need to stay on Earth for a longer period of time. The injection would shorten the length of their ears for a few weeks. The mews, Ryou and Keiichiro agreed that this lessened their inhuman appearance significantly.

That hadn't made up for three oddball behavior from all three boys, which ranged from not understanding basic pleasantries, to accidentally floating off the ground out of habit, to being downright rude.

Yet, to Ichigo's delight and her dismay, the café was filling up quickly; the rumor had gotten out that the famed Café Mew Mew had hired _boys_ as waiters, too. Girls seated at tables were texting their friends to join them, and shooing away Ichigo and the mews in favor of being served by Quiche, Pie or Tart.

However, Tart was quickly falling out of their good graces, as his inability to fake pleasantries with guests was starting to show. Instead, girls were asking Ichigo to "bring over the boy with the dreamy gold eyes" or "can I talk to the tall guy with the muscley arms?"

Ichigo tried not to let her smile crack, gritting her teeth and obliging in the requests when she could and politely letting guests know when "all of the other wait staff are busy – so sorry!" Yet here she was, on a quiet Tuesday in March, completely swamped in a café full of teenaged girls who only wanted to be served by 2 members of the 3-part idiot circus.

Quiche was proving himself more of a natural than Pie – while Pie was quick getting orders out to tables and polite in his tone, he lacked the niceties the guests pined for. Quiche, on the other hand, reveled in the attention, lingering at tables to chit chat with girls who looked like they were ready to melt into their seats. Ichigo noted that Quiche was leaning against tables and placing a hand on the back of guest's chairs, but avoided physical contact with the guests. Ichigo had expected worse, so she was pleasantly surprised at his good behavior.

That didn't help with the stark reality that she was here, tending to a full café of guests, while her boyfriend Masaya Aoyama was in town for only two weeks on his spring break from university. Ichigo took comfort in knowing that Masaya was taking her on a date after work, but the aliens' arrival could not have been worse. It had been so long since Ichigo had spent time with Masaya, and having to bring her A-game to work was hard when all she wanted to do was daydream.

Ichigo's gaze snapped back to Pie.

"Sorry for talking to Tart like that," she muttered. Pie nodded.

"No need to apologize. He can be crass at times."

Ichigo sighed and regarded Pie with a nod before heading into the kitchen office nook to finish printing out the checks she was working on before the cheesecake incident.

Picking up her notepad, she began to tap orders into their rudimentary register.

_One key lime slice …_

_Two fudge truffles …_

_Chocolate brown eyes …_

… _wait where was I._

Ichigo totaled the receipt, printed it and ripped it up, starting over again with a huff. Taking a moment to collect herself, she pushed her headband further back on her head and cracked her knuckles to relieve some stress.

Lettuce rounded the corner with a stack of plates as Ichigo had just started ringing up the second receipt.

"How are you, Ichigo?" she asked over her shoulder, dumping the plates in the sink. Ichigo shot her a nervous grin as she rang up another slice of key lime pie.

"Kinda freaking out!" she squeaked, realizing she had left off a guest's chocolate mousse from their tab. Lettuce watched her tear up the receipt. "Ergh! Can't freaking focus!"

"Here," Lettuce interjected, sliding over to Ichigo, "Take your break, I'll take care of this!" She picked up the pad of paper and smiled. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief and gave her friend a quick hug.

"Thanks Lettuce, I'll be back soon!" she sang, darting out of the kitchen. She headed to the back room of the café. Ichigo ignored Tart in the corner fiddling with the cell phone Pie had recently acquired for him. She pulled out her own bag from a small cubby space and flicked on her phone.

The home screen was a photo of her and Masaya, smiling and hugging on a sunny day sometime during her last extended trip to London. She had loved being in London with Masaya for those weeks studying endangered species, but she had also missed being with her friends at Café Mew Mew, not to mention being away from her parents for the longest time in her life.

She had also been away from her friends when they needed her to fight the Saint Rose Crusaders, only returning in time for the final battle. Now, it felt right for her to return as the leader of the mews – and the chimera attack a few days ago had shown her that her powers were still as strong as she remembered.

She sighed and put away her phone, thankful for Masaya being home, even if it was only for two weeks.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of crashing plates outside. Flinching, she instinctively whipped around to glare at Tart.

"What?" he spat, gesturing wildly around the room. "What'd I do?"

Ichigo rolled her eyes and shoved her bag back in her cubby. Enough was enough – she had to speak to Ryou about the chaos around the café. Her working conditions were abysmal, and something had to give. Ichigo crossed the back room and jogged down the stairs to the basement computer room, her black mary janes clicking on the concrete steps as she went.

Ryou was sitting at a desk situated to the left of the room, with a study light illuminating in the dim basement. He looked deep in thought. Four half-full coffee mugs sat abandoned in the corner of his desk. A tall stack of stuffed manilla envelopes were off to his right, waiting to be cracked open. Ichigo strode up to the desk and crossed her arms expectantly.

"What now?" Ryou mumbled, not breaking his concentration. "I'm busy."

Ichigo blew her bangs out of her face. "Can we talk? For five minutes?"

Ryou glanced up briefly, his icy blues glaring into Ichigo with a look of hardened annoyance. "This had better not be about the aliens' arrival because from what I remember, we already discussed that. Thoroughly."

Ichigo stiffened up, biting the inside of her cheek as she inhaled. "Well I –" she started before abruptly pausing under Ryou's cold stare. She exhaled, then continued, letting the words tumble out of her mind and bounce off of her tongue. "I just think that – well with all of the chaos – and you should see how busy it is! It's so busy. And I really REALLY don't think this is a good idea!"

She sucked in a breath, biting her lip as Ryou continued to stare at her, his expression a mix of boredom and annoyance. Finally, he said, "Look, Ichigo – Quiche, Pie and Tart are part of the team now. Giving them a job here gives them something to do. You're going to have to put up with it."

Ichigo let out something between a grunt and a sigh. She ran her hands through her ruby red hair and turned around in a circle to calm herself. "But like…why do they even have to be here to start with?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, "Why are you defending them so much now of all times, when Aoyama is only here for two weeks? Like, can they at least wait a few days before trashing the place?"

Ryou leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Listen, I know it's not ideal. But after the chimera attack on the train two days ago we'll need all the help we can get."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Ryou started, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I've been talking with Quiche and Pie about why we had an instance of a one-off chimera attack all of a sudden, when we haven't seen an attack since the Saint Rose Crusaders rounded up the remaining chimeras, and Berry was leading the mews. We're curious why the chimeras would suddenly become active again, without the influence of an enemy like the Crusaders."

Ichigo's frown deepened. Her gaze fell to the floor as she contemplated Ryou's words.

Ryou continued, "I'm also looking into Aoyama's transformation the other day."

This caught Ichigo's attention, her head snapping up to listen intently. "What about Aoyama?"

"You saw him on the train," Ryou said, "He was able to tap into his power left over from when he was Deep Blue's host. Even though his power is weak, the fact that he was able to take on that form is…fascinating."

Ichigo, concerned, opened her mouth and closed it again. She furrowed her brow. "So what does this have to do with the aliens being here?"

"Pie, Quiche and Tart are all keenly aware of what it takes to manifest chimeras," Ryou replied, placing his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "They also know everything there is to know about Deep Blue's power. We would be stupid not to adopt them as part of our team while we investigate both mysteries."

Worry washed over Ichigo's face as she crossed and uncrossed her arms in discomfort. "But Deep Blue is dead, right?" she murmured.

"Yes, we're certain of that," Ryou affirmed. "But some small amount of Deep Blue's power is still alive in Aoyama. I don't know whether that's cause for concern, or if it's simply a gift for Aoyama to wield as needed."

Ichigo nodded slowly. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized it was well past her 15-minute break.

"Th… thank you Shironage," she muttered to Ryou. Ryou nodded, picking up his pencil again and sitting up in his chair.

"It's best you don't mention this to anyone yet," he said quietly, locking eyes with Ichigo again. She nodded, then turned to go back upstairs.

"Oh and Ichigo?" Ryou called after her. Ichigo craned her head down from the stairs. "Don't interrupt my work down here again."

Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Fine!" she huffed, stomping her way back up the stairs into the bright, colorful lights of the café.

She was just in time to see Pudding dragging Tart out of the back room.

"Come on Taru-Taru! Time to get back to work!" she sang cheerfully, pulling Tart by his forearm. He slumped behind her reluctantly, shooting Ichgio a nasty glare as she looked on in amusement.

The rest of Ichigo's shift was a blur, the next hour flying by in a storm of broken dishes and a revolving door of patrons wanting a seat. Ichigo practically saw stars when she glanced up to see Masaya walking through the giant pink doors of the café. He was dressed in dark jeans, a grey tee and a white jacket – the very object of perfection in Ichigo's eyes.

She rushed into his arms, burying herself in his warm embrace. He smelled like grass and hazelnut.

"Ready to go soon?" Masaya asked, smiling down at Ichigo. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I'll go get changed and I'll be right out!" she sang, losing herself momentarily in his deep brown eyes. She tore herself away from his embrace, walking backwards a few steps so she could look at him just a moment longer before disappearing into the back room to retrieve her change of clothes.

Changing in the restroom, Ichigo's conversation with Ryou began to bubble to the surface of her mind once again. She fixed her hair into a ponytail with a white scrunchie, observing her reflection in the mirror while musing over Masaya's supposed powers left over from Deep Blue.

She remembered sadly how Masaya deeply hated what he had become when Deep Blue began making himself known to Masaya. She had only spoken with him about it once or twice since that final battle — Masaya was sensitive to the topic, and rightly so. Ryou's hypothesis that Masaya's transformation stemmed from Deep Blue's leftover powers disturbed her, and would likely disturb Masaya too.

 _But we don't know anything for certain_ , Ichigo reminded herself, freshening up her appearance in the mirror. She let out a breath, then nodded. She would keep her conversation with Ryou to herself. _No need to stress out Masaya on his spring break_.

Ichigo took one last deep breath before leaving the restroom. She quickly found Masaya seated at a table chatting with Mint, who was enjoying her ritualistic afternoon tea. Mint regarded Ichigo with a smirk.

"Taking off already?" Mint quipped. Ichigo rolled her eyes, slipping on her backpack.

"You've been sitting here on your break for the past hour!"

Mint was unfazed. "I started my shift before you and I will be on my shift after you leave," she said dryly. Ichigo shook her head.

"Alright fine, you win this one," she sighed, cracking a half-smile. Masaya stood up and wrapped his arm around Ichigo's waist.

"Let's get going," he said, squeezing her waist affectionately.

Ichigo, blushing, waved goodbye to Mint and strode out of the café with her boyfriend into the sunny, warm spring air.

Cherry blossom petals floated delicately through the breeze as the two disappeared into the bustle of the city, unaware of the change in the atmosphere around them as they walked.

 _This will be the best two weeks ever_ , Ichigo thought to herself. She breathed in the smell of flowers and her boyfriend's linen shirt. _I can do anything with Masaya by my side_.


	2. A Stupid Thing to Say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic? In the year 2020? I know, I can't believe I'm writing this either. I'm half-hoping for a fandom revival with the recent announcement of the anime reboot (anyone reading this who remembers the fandom's heyday in the mid-2000s?)
> 
> Confused? Not sure what's going on in this fic? You will not understand major plot points if you haven't read the manga mini-series by original TMM author Mia Ikumi. Read it now! Just Google "Tokyo Mew Mew Re-Turn Scan" and you'll see a download link on Tumblr!
> 
> A couple other housekeeping notes -
> 
> This fic is written in the manga-verse – all characterizations and events are based off of the manga.
> 
> I am using English translations of names where applicable, so Kish → Quiche, Pai → Pie, etc. I am also choosing to drop "-kun"s, "-san"s, as well as Pudding's "na no da" as these are all Japanese -isms that I don't think are necessary to the narration. The only plot point I am going to bend a bit is character ages – I'm leaving the time passed between the beginning of the TMM manga and this fic up in the air so that the characters are a bit older (think late high school age).
> 
> One last thing – I used to write in this fandom quite often on FFnet when I was in middle school/early high school, but I'm choosing to start a new account to disassociate myself from some of my old fics. If you recognize me by my username, great! If not, no worries – my writing style is quite different from when I was 13.
> 
> With that, read on and enjoy! ~

The chaos was neither better nor worse today, but Ichigo didn’t care. After her romantic date with Masaya the day before, she felt as though she was walking on air, drifting through her shift at the café with a bounce in her step. Her dreamy state encased her in a cloud of bliss, and any annoyance simply rolled off her back. 

Ichigo had spent her date with Masaya at the farmer’s market a few blocks into the urban center of their neighborhood, picking out some fresh fruits and a bouquet of flowers. Though her mind wandered to the troubles at the café and her concerns about her conversation with Ryou, the date had been a much-needed respite from her stress.

After passing an order over the kitchen counter for Zakuro to deliver, Ichigo stacked a tray with the treats for one of her tables and made her way through the crowded café to the trio of young girls. They oo’ed and ahh’ed at the intricate tarts Ichigo placed before them on the fine china plates. 

“Key lime, cherry confit … and the lemon curd tart,” Ichigo recited, as she set down the last dish. She smiled cheerfully at the three beaming girls. “Anything else I can get for you three?” 

“Well actually..!” squeaked one of them, pausing to look at her friends’ eager faces. Her short blonde locks bounced and whirled as she excitedly turned back to Ichigo. “We were talking with the waiter with the green hair … named ‘Quiche’ I think …”

Ichigo’s face faltered as she tried to maintain some semblance of a smile.

The girl continued, “...and my friend asked him if he would go on a date but he said he was with you! Is that true? Are you dating?”

Ichigo stiffened. She laughed nervously and waved her hand in dismissal. “No, no we’re not together. That’s silly of him to say.” The dreamy haze around Ichigo was beginning to dissipate, replaced instead with a flickering flame of annoyance. Her grin had turned into something of a grimace.

Suspicious, the blonde girl looked at her friends again, then back at Ichigo. “That’s weird, I was sure –”

The girl halted, eyes going wide as she started to snicker. Ichigo, eyes narrowed, turned to look behind her just as she felt a hand snake around her waist. She locked eyes with Quiche, who had quietly come to stand next to her. Ichigo’s breath caught in her throat as she observed Quiche’s devilish smirk. His fingers drummed lightly on the curve of her waist.

Quiche quickly turned his focus to the girls at the table.   
  
“Ichigo been treating you well?” he asked them in his signature velvety tone. The girls nodded vigorously, fascinated with the interaction unfolding before them. Ichigo, now a distinct shade of beet red, slid to the right and out of Quiche’s grasp, laughing nervously.    
  
“Ok I’m going to go now!” she squeaked, whirling around to leave.   
  
“Oh I see!” one of the girls declared loudly. “Unrequited love! How romantic!” The girls at the table swooned. Quiche ignored them, turning to watch Ichigo’s reaction. Ichigo stopped dead in her tracks and turned on her heel. She scowled, blushing.

“Q… Quiche I need to talk to you!” Ichigo blurted out, boring holes into his smug gaze. Ears burning and neck hot, she marched towards the back room, not waiting for him to follow her, but knowing that he would.

Observing that no one was in the back room, Ichigo marched in, massaging her face in an attempt to relax.  _ Stupid, stupid, stupid, _ she thought. She pictured the look on the girls’ faces as they watched Quiche rile her up in front of them. Why did she let herself get that flushed in front of everyone in the café? 

Quiche was just a few moments behind Ichigo. He walked into the back room nonchalantly, crossing his arms and leaning up against one of the walls to the side of the door.

“Wanted a little alone time, hm?” he quipped, still wearing that damn smirk Ichigo had come to hate. Ichigo marched to the door, slammed it shut, and fixed Quiche with a glare. He still stood a good 6 inches taller than her, but she hoped he felt small.

“If you’re going to be a jerk, could you at least be more subtle?” Ichigo said in a loud, harsh whisper. “You’re making me look stupid in front of everyone!”

Quiche raised an eyebrow. “Could you elaborate, kitten?”

“You can’t just tell everyone we’re together!” Ichigo said, the flush in her cheeks rising up into her face again. Quiche let out a snort of laughter.

“What? I’m just telling some guests the truth.”

“And what would that be?” Ichigo demanded, hands on her hips.

“Just that I only have eyes for you,” Quiche mused.

He watched her carefully for a reaction. Ichigo felt her face flush again, and she inhaled sharply as she realized that she had been on her toes talking to him. Their faces were close enough to feel his breath on her lashes.

“W-well that’s a stupid thing to tell the guests,” Ichigo muttered half-heartedly. She backed up two steps and crossed her arms.

“Stupid is in the eye of the beholder,” Quiche replied, smirking.

Ichigo opened her mouth to fire back an insult when the door swung open and Zakuro walked in, taking two steps before pausing to observe the two occupants of the back room.

Zakuro raised an eyebrow as Quiche and Ichigo waited for her reaction. Finally, she propped the door open with a door stopper and crossed over to where she had set her purse.

“You should keep this door open,” she said simply. “People will get the wrong idea.”

Ichigo groaned in annoyance, turning to march out the door again. Quiche grinned, hands behind his head as he followed her back out to the hall.

Ichigo was on her way to the kitchen to pick up her next table’s order and get away from Quiche when she heard her name. Peering out into the dining area, she saw Mint motioning for her to come over to her table. Ichigo, curious, came and sat down in the empty seat where Mint was having her daily afternoon tea.

“What was that about?” Mint asked curiously. She took a sip from her cup and set it down delicately. “The whole dining room saw you run off like that.”

Ichigo sighed in frustration and hid her face in her hands. “I know, I know,” she groaned, “Quiche won’t lay off.” 

“What do you mean?” asked Mint, tilting her head to the side. Mint was the gossip queen, Ichigo knew – she could pick apart the social dynamic between any two people in a room.

“Apparently he’s been telling guests we’re together or something,” Ichigo muttered, still resting her face in her hands. “Something about ‘only has eyes for’ me. It’s so embarrassing.”

“That’d be sweet,” Mint said, sipping her tea, “...if you didn’t already have a boyfriend.”

“I KNOW!” Ichigo exclaimed, a little too loudly. She went back to hiding her face. “Shirogane won’t listen when I tell him I’m stressed out about all of this mayhem, either!”   
  
“Well, we all know you could use the help around here,” Mint replied coolly, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo crossed her arms and shot her a glare.

“Right, like  _ you _ help out around here so much!”   
  
“I’m helping you now,” Mint said nonchalantly, smirking. “Besides, I’ve been talking with Quiche over the last couple days and he has some interesting things to say about the chimera we battled the other day.”

Ichigo perked up, scooting to the edge of her seat. “Wait, what about the chimera?”   
  
Mint shrugged, pouring herself another cup of tea. She then took a second saucer and cup from the edge of the tray, pouring a steaming cup for Ichigo. 

“It just seems as if Quiche has been having a lot of conversations with Shirogane regarding the sudden appearance of the chimera,” Mint said quietly, dropping a sugar cube into her tea. She stirred it with a small, golden spoon. The delicate clinking of the metal against china mimicked the same tones as her delicate, high-pitched voice. “Quiche has concerns that this won’t be the last chimera we’ll see any time soon. He worries there may more”

Ichigo furrowed her brow, tying this new information back to what Ryou had spoken with her about the day before. “Does he have any idea why?” asked Ichigo.   
  
Mint shrugged, setting down the small spoon on her saucer. “Not really. Quiche isn’t stupid, though. He and Ryou seem to be on to something. Working here is simply a cover.”

“Well I knew that already,” Ichigo said defensively, taking a sip of tea. The dainty aroma of lavender calmed the tension in her forehead. She sighed, feeling the warm liquid ease down her throat. “How do I get Quiche to quit bothering me, though?”

Mint observed her curiously. “I’m not your therapist, Ichigo. You need to figure that out on your own.” 

Ichigo huffed, taking one last gulp of tea before setting the cup down with a “clack” on the saucer.

Mint flinched.

“Ok, fine,” Ichigo sighed. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears. “Thanks Mint.”

“Always,” Mint said with a smirk. Her eyes drifted elsewhere in the dining room. “Don’t look now; Shirogane is coming this way.”   
  
Ichigo’s back stiffened as she heard her name barked from behind her, “ICHIGO! What are you doing sitting down?”

“But! But I –”   
  
“No excuses! Get back to work!”   
  
Ichigo gestured wildly from Ryou to Mint and back to Ryou, but her boss’ expression was steely cold. Ichigo sighed, stomping back over to the kitchen. She purposefully knocked shoulders with Ryou as she went. 

Ichigo picked up the waiting pastries on the kitchen serving counter, setting them on her tray quickly as her mind fell back to the whirlpool of thoughts that had been brewing over the last few tumultuous days.

She now knew for sure that the aliens, no matter how unruly, were essential in getting to the bottom of the mysteries of what happened during the battle a few days ago. The mystery of what was going on with Masaya’s reappearing power.

_ And that,  _ Ichigo thought, waltzing out to the dining area with her next tray of desserts,  _...is worth putting up with them for. _


	3. An Awfully Fickle Cat

Ichigo dropped her apron on the hook by the door with a sigh. _What a day,_ she thought to herself, slinging her backpack over one shoulder.

If she hadn't had enough to think about from her dreamy date with Masaya, she was now lost in the hurricane of worry spiraling around her conversation with Ryou, Masaya's newfound abilities, and Quiche's incessant pestering. All she hoped for was to spend more precious time in the company of her boyfriend, and less time in the chaos of the café.

She had another date planned with Masaya over the weekend – she resolved to focus her attention on what she would wear to her next date, and put the other worries out of her mind.

Sighing, Ichigo shut the doors of Café Mew Mew behind her. She fiddled with her keys and locked the door, taking a long, deep breath of cold spring air. It was just evening, the sun gone beyond the horizon only minutes ago.

Ichigo dropped the keys in her pocket and turned before hearing a voice.

"We didn't finish our conversation, did we?"

Ichigo sucked in a breath and looked up to where Quiche was sitting on the roof of the cafe, observing her with a grin. He looked so nonchalant, then – wearing black skinny jeans, a t-shirt and hoodie – Ichigo could have mistaken him for an average teenager. Quiche looked on at her with amusement, jumping off the roof and landing gracefully three stories down. He dusted off his hands and locked eyes with her again.

"Let me walk you home," he demanded, placing his hands in the back pockets of his pants. Ichigo furrowed her brow, opening her mouth to protest, before she remembered her conversation with Mint.

_Quiche isn't stupid, though. He and Ryou seem to be on to something._

Ichigo snapped her mouth shut. If she was going to get to the bottom of what was going on with the appearance of a chimera out of the blue, she needed to be able to talk to Quiche. Ichigo closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.

"Ok, sure," she sighed, "Walk with me."

Ichigo observed a brief flash across Quiche's gaze before the corner of his mouth turned up. Not waiting for a reply, she turned and began to walk out of the park and on towards the sidewalk. Quiche fell in step next to her as she strode.

"So," she started hesitantly, "Mint said you've been talking with Shirogane recently."

"He _is_ my new boss, isn't he?" Quiche replied coyly. Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about how to approach the conversation subtly.

"Well, you and Shirogane have been talking about something to do with the chimera we battled the other day," Ichigo continued.

She briefly glanced behind her for any other passers-by who may have been listening. She caught Quiche's eye contact as she turned back, his amber eyes burning into hers, tinged the light of the pinkish sky. _Just like the sunset,_ she thought as she turned back. She quickly shook the invasive thought out of her head.

"What did you talk about with him?" she asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Fishing for information, are we?" Quiche replied. He paused, thinking. "Ryou is interesting to speak with. He seems to know so much, but is slow to do anything about it."

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, looking back up at Quiche. "What do you mean?"

Quiche hesitated for a moment before replying, "Nothing really. He was really screaming at you today when you were having tea with Mint, wasn't he? I could hear him from the kitchen."

"Yes!" Ichigo exclaimed, momentarily delighted to be gossiping about her workday, "Wasn't that SO ridiculous? Mint didn't lift a finger today and Ryou has the NERVE to start yelling at me after five minutes..!"

Looking up at Quiche, she realized quickly he was diverting the conversation; Quiche was stifling a laugh. Ichigo frowned. She quickly put aside all of her work gossip from her mind and refocused.

"But that's besides the point." she sputtered, "You were just telling me what you and Shirogane were speaking about."

Quiche grinned. "Was I? I suppose so," he said. "Yeah, we had a good talk. Mostly about the café."

Ichigo resisted the urge to let out a sigh, feeling as if she was getting nowhere with Quiche. He was purposefully withholding information from her. Despite the fact that Quiche wasn't blatantly flirting with her – which was a welcome relief for Ichigo – he was obviously avoiding the topic of his conversation with Ryou. Regardless, their conversation was admittedly one of the most normal ones Ichigo had ever had with her alien admirer.

Thinking out loud, Ichigo muttered, "Funny how our conversations are so different when we're not trying to kill each other."

Quiche grinned, amused. "Mm, yeah – I enjoy this a lot more."

They walked a few more steps in silence before Ichigo blurted out, "Listen, I just want you to tell me what you think about the chimera the other day."

Quiche stayed quiet for a moment as they walked. Ichigo continued, "I'm just really worried about the whole thing and I know you, Pie and Tart know all about the chimeras, so I just wanted to know why you think one showed up all of a sudden."

She glanced up at Quiche, hoping her direct strategy of asking his opinion would pay off. He looked deep in thought, as if he was piecing together what information to divulge. His eyes flicked back and forth as if he was flipping through a catalog of thoughts in his head.

"Yeah, we've been wondering about that too," Quiche muttered finally, breaking the silence. Ichigo curiously observed his uncharacteristically casual tone. "Chimeras are strange things; they feed off of power and hate. Any hateful thing in the world can be influenced by a chimera … all it takes is power to infuse it."

Ichigo mulled over this for a few moments, turning the thought over in her mind's eye as she listened to the tapping of their steps on the sidewalk. "Then what would infuse a chimera a few days ago? The leopard cub on the train seemed to transform out of nowhere."

"That's the question, isn't it?" Quiche replied. "Only you and Aoyama were on the train, not any of us with abilities to control the chimeras. If the cub didn't transform on its own, who did it? Why would the chimera infect the cub and transform as soon as it entered the train?"

Ichigo furrowed her brow. "So you really have no idea?" she mused, glancing up at Quiche. He shrugged lightly, catching her gaze only briefly before focusing ahead.

"I have my theories," Quiche said, glancing back down at Ichigo. "For instance, your boyfriend seems to have some part of Deep Blue's power still living inside him."

Ichigo stopped walking, crossing her arms. She began to piece together information in her head, her brows furrowing in concern. "Wait, you think Aoyama is the reason the cub turned into a chimera?"

"Maybe," Quiche said quickly, stopping next to her. "After all, his powers stem from something sinister – he could be influencing chimeras without even knowing it."

Ichigo shook her head. "No, no … Deep Blue is dead," she murmured, starting to walk again. Remembering the source of her information, Ichigo's stare quickly snapped to Quiche as another thought crossed her mind. "You're trying to get in between Aoyama and I with all of this, aren't you?" she demanded, straightening her back as she strode.

Quiche smirked. "I'm simply answering your question like you asked, kitten," he replied. Ichigo's face grew flush at the mention of her old nickname. Quiche's walls were coming back up; the flirting had returned. "...though you're always free to make your own choices."

Ichigo faltered, confused. "What?" she said, refocusing to Quiche's gaze as he walked alongside her. He smirked, his eyes darting elsewhere briefly before focusing back to hers.

"I mean that you're an awfully fickle cat," he mused.

Ichigo paused on that word – fickle. Quiche had called her that before – a few days ago, at the airport. It was right after he had the heated argument with Masaya.

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked suspiciously. "You keep calling me that word, 'fickle.' What does it mean?"

Quiche's smirk widened. "It means to often change the object of your affection."

"For example..." Quiche continued, giving Ichigo a squeeze on her waist, "I've been holding you like this for the last ten minutes, and you don't seem to mind."

Ichigo instantly realized that Quiche was right, and he had been walking with his hand on the small of her back for the better part of their walk. She had instinctively fallen into the routine of physical affection with Masaya, and had neglected to notice Quiche placing his hand near her waist. A common physical sign of affection from her boyfriend – a hand on her waist – was indistinguishable from Quiche's touch.

Ichigo jumped away immediately, and realized that, in her flustered state, her cat ears and tail had made an appearance. Panicked, she squeaked in surprise and backed up against the white wood fence adjacent to the sidewalk. She slapped her hands over her ears and searched the road for any passers-by. She could feel that her face was flushed, her heart beating loud and fast.

Quiche let out a snort of laughter, "Cat got your tongue?"

Realizing there was no one around, Ichigo put on her best face of intimidation and glared at Quiche, who was standing in front of her, amused. "Quiche! This is your fault!" she hissed, sinking further down the fence.

Quiche, still grinning, unzipped the hoodie he was wearing and quickly slipped it off his arms. The shirt underneath was sleeveless; this did not go unnoticed by Ichigo, whose blush deepened at the sight of his slim, muscular arms. Despite feeling like she could melt into a puddle of nerves, she tried her best to continue looking angry at him.

"Here," Quiche said, swinging the hoodie over Ichigo and dropping it on her head, "Use this."

Ichigo pulled the hood further over her ears, smelling something like cloves. She was immediately taken back to her train ride with Masaya – when he hid her cat ears with his jacket after the ears appeared in front of all of those people.

Thinking of Quiche, then, she felt immensely guilty for comparing the two. She picked at the zipper of the hoodie nervously.

"Th– thanks," Ichigo sputtered reluctantly, feeling the heat lingering on her face. She glanced up at Quiche – he looked on with one part amusement and one part something she couldn't place.

Glancing down the sidewalk, Ichigo realized she was only a block and a half from her house.

"I – I'm close to home," she muttered. "I'm … I'm ok for the rest of the way."

"If you say so, kitten," Quiche said, his voice lower this time. He was close, Ichigo noted – _too close._ "Don't get lost."

Ichigo felt frozen in place, like her limbs were made of steel. She lingered under Quiche's gaze for a few moments, surrounded in his scent from his jacket.

It was getting dark – the sky a deep bluish purple, shadows beginning to lengthen. A loud sort of silence passed between them, the kind of silence only brought on by the absence of something needed to be said. Something small, something strange stirred in the pit of Ichigo's stomach as she locked eyes with Quiche, and it terrified her.

Forcing herself to break eye contact, Ichigo wordlessly turned and began a brisk walk to her house, feeling her heart beating to the rhythm of her steps. Suddenly, impulsively, she turned her head to look behind her – but Quiche was already gone. Ichigo let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and turned the corner on her street, marching up to her front door in minutes.

"I'm home!" she announced to her parents, shedding her shoes at the door. She didn't wait for a response before adding, "I have to shower! I'll be down soon!"

"Ok!" came her mom's response from the kitchen. Ichigo raced up the stairs and dropped her bag on her bedroom floor. She slammed her door behind her and leaned up against it, letting her head fall back with a thud.

Slowly, Ichigo reached up to touch her ears. They were still fuzzy. She groaned, taking the hoodie off her head. Holding it in both hands, she examined it thoughtfully.

She sniffed– everything smelled like cloves now, even her hair. One of her ears twitched.

The next two weeks were going to be harder than she thought.


	4. Like One Team

It was the first day Ichigo felt like the activity in the café was relatively back to normal. Busier than it should have been on a Thursday, but for the first time in three days, the café didn't have a waitlist. It may have had something to do with the clouds and slight drizzle outside. Or it could have been Tart's inability to serve a table without an accompanying insult. Ichigo was glad for the respite from the chaos of the last few days. Next week, she would return to high school after her spring break. It would be a welcome change of pace to have a few workdays where she wasn't understaffed and overbooked.

It had been two days since Quiche had walked her home from her shift. Their uncharacteristically serious discussion had Ichigo's mind whirring. Not to mention Quiche's hand on her back, and that he had leant her his hoodie for the night. Ichigo was still coming to terms with the fact that the three alien boys were going to be at the café indefinitely – and that she would have to cope with being around Quiche in some capacity for most of her shifts.

The most unsettling part about her dynamic with Quiche was the grey area they both occupied while both were working at the café. Quiche wasn't her enemy anymore – and they weren't actively trying to kill each other like years past. But Quiche had made it clear with his grand entrance back into her life that he was not backing down from his pursuit of her. And that made Ichigo nervous.

It was in this strange, hazy middle ground where Ichigo's relationship with Quiche rested. Did her relationship with Masaya mean that Quiche would always be an enemy? Was there a universe where Quiche could be her friend and nothing more? Could Masaya and Quiche coexist in the same social circle?

A small voice in the back of her head whispered to her _absolutely not_ , but she couldn't know for sure. Ichigo had been pointedly avoiding Quiche at work, despite his seemingly constant attempts to catch her eye whenever they passed each other in the kitchen or dining room.

She found herself in one of those moments as she mulled over the question, her attention breaking briefly from the prep station in the kitchen to notice that Quiche had just come through the doorway looking for something. She forced herself to look as busy as possible decorating the garnish on three banana milkshakes. Quiche breezed past her wordlessly, ducking into the walk-in fridge briefly and pulling out a giant jar of maraschino cherries. Ichigo could feel his eyes on her as she finished the chocolate sprinkles on dollops of whipped cream.

"Your hair is different," came his remark from behind her. Ichigo furrowed her brow. It wasn't the comment she was expecting.

She turned around slowly, watching Quiche drop the cherries on the two sorbets he was getting ready to deliver. "I...really?" she said, confused.

Quiche caught her eye as he turned back, smirking. She watched his eyes flick up and down from her hair back to her face. "It's up in the back. You never used to wear it like that," he remarked.

It dawned on Ichigo that he was talking about her high ponytail she had tied up in a white scrunchie. He was right that she didn't used to wear ponytails in the early days of high school when they first met. She tried not to be impressed that he noticed, feeling flattered but slightly uncomfortable knowing that he had perceived her personal style in that detail.

"I– yes, I guess so," she replied lamely, casting her gaze to the white tile floor. She dropped her tray on the kitchen countertop and loaded the three milkshakes on it.

"It's cute," came Quiche's remark from behind her. She whirled around to see him waltzing out of the kitchen, walking backwards to watch her reaction. "Wear it like that more often."

Ichigo scowled, feeling the heat blooming in her cheeks. "Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled around the corner at him. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she hoisted her tray up on her shoulder and followed him out of the kitchen. _Idiot._

She fixed his lithe figure with a glare as she watched him walk the sorbets to his table. Even when he was walking like a human, his stride was admittedly graceful and light. Ichigo envied his natural coordination, something she had struggled with, especially in her early days of working at the café. Quiche was admittedly picking up the job quickly, and Ichigo was beginning to resent him for it.

Once Ichigo had dropped off the milkshakes, she took another table's order and was on her way to close out a third table's tab. She was just totaling the receipt when Lettuce emerged from the back room after her break.

"Hey, Ichigo," Lettuce greeted, wiping her glasses with the corner of her apron. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she smiled shyly, "Sooooo … I have something to tell you."

Ichigo printed out her table's check and ripped it out of the printer with a little more force than she intended. "Oooh, what is it?" she murmured excitedly, grinning at Lettuce. She leaned up against the counter. "Spill!"

"Well…" Lettuce started bashfully, putting on her glasses and pushing them up her nose, "I mayyyy have a date this week…"

Ichigo's face lit up. "A date?" she repeated in excitement, "Oh Lettuce that's so exciting! Wow! Wait, is it that guy from your calculus class?"

Lettuce bit her lip, letting her eyes wander bashfully. "Well, not exactly…" she started.

"Wait wait," Ichigo interrupted. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes and grinning. "Let me try and guess. Someone I know?"

"Ah, hm...yes," Lettuce murmured. Her eyes continued to wander around the room nervously.

Ichigo thought for a moment. "Wait, it's not…" she started, whispering. Lettuce sucked in an anxious breath awaiting Ichigo's guess. Ichigo tilted her head to one side, "...Shirogane?"

Lettuce shook her head quickly, waving her hands in dismissal, "No no no! I uh… no, not Shirogane."

Ichigo let out a relieved sigh. "Well good!" she muttered, "I don't know what I'd do if I had to be _nice to him_ for once."

Lettuce chuckled. She was playing with one of her braids, picking at her split ends. Ichigo narrowed her eyes again. "Wait, who is it then? I'm out of ideas."

"Promise you won't freak out?" Lettuce murmured, grimacing.

Ichigo nodded, "Of course!"

"Well…" Lettuce started with a sigh, "...the person who asked me on a date... it's Pie."

Ichigo's eyes were as wide as saucers, her jaw going slack. "Shut. Up," she exclaimed in a gasp, "Wh-what? Pie? Like, no-emotions, super-serious Pie?"

Lettuce blushed, weaving a braid through her fingers anxiously. "I– uh– yeah…but like, you said you wouldn't freak out!" she stammered. She pushed her glasses up her nose.

Ichigo cupped her face in one hand, searching Lettuce's expression. "I just wasn't expecting it to be _him_! Wait, how did it happen? Did he just ask you today?"

Lettuce glanced behind her anxiously. She leaned in towards Ichigo. "We should talk more about this after work," she murmured. "You're off at 6 too, right?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah, I'll walk with you home! Oh my gosh, I can't wait to hear all the details."

Lettuce grinned excitedly, beaming. "Y-yeah! Ok, I'll meet you by the back door after work."

The two girls parted ways with excited giggles and a hug. Ichigo finished the rest of her shift while trying to wrap her head around Lettuce and Pie being an item. She'd be amiss to say she hadn't noticed Pie's soft spot for Lettuce when they were still enemies. But Pie's softness towards Lettuce wasn't nearly as blatantly obvious as Quiche's advances towards herself. Ichigo mulled over the comparison as she changed out of her work uniform and into her black ribbed long sleeve shirt, jeans and tan rain coat. She ventured out to the back door of the café vowing to have an open mind and an open heart towards her dear friend.

Lettuce greeted Ichigo with a wide smile. She held a clear umbrella and invited Ichigo to stand under it with her as they walked. A light mist descended from the sky; feathery, warm drops dusted Ichigo's fingertips as they walked.

"So tell me everything!" Ichigo was quick to say, "I need to know details! When, where, how...all of it!"

Lettuce sighed, glancing up at the cloudy sky. "Well," she started hesitantly, "We've kinda been talking here and there at work … you know, in the back room, kitchen, that sort of thing. Just chatting. He's very smart, and I … there's just something that works. It's so odd, but I feel like we could talk for hours. About anything."

Ichigo glanced at her friend curiously, drinking in her words. "Wait," Ichigo interjected, "Talking about what? Give me an example."

Lettuce mulled over the question for a moment, glancing up at the misty, grey sheet of clouds. "Well, I've learned a lot about what life is like in their world. And how it's different because of the Mew Aqua," Lettuce replied. "Pie talks about how their planet was really barren – it snowed all the time – and now the climate is temperate, with vibrant flowers and trees blooming just like on Earth."

Ichigo pictured the landscape in her mind's eye with wonderment as Lettuce continued. "The three of them have some sort of position in their government now, you know," she remarked. "Pie told me about it briefly. Their lives are quite fascinating. We had lots to talk about."

Ichigo filed the information away in her mind curiously. "Wait, so when is your date?" she asked with a grin.

"Saturday!" Lettuce replied excitedly. "We haven't really figured out what to do yet – we're going to meet at the downtown park and just kind of … play it by ear, I suppose."

Lettuce paused, smiling warmly at the thought. The slight drizzle of rain was coming down harder now. Beads of water tapped loudly on the clear plastic umbrella above the two girls, punctuating the silence with a peaceful, rhythmic chorus.

"That sounds perfect," Ichigo remarked. A pang of guilt lept into her chest as she remembered how she had a strong reaction with Lettuce when Lettuce had first told her about the date.

Ichigo exhaled slowly. "Also, Lettuce, I'm sorry I sounded so shocked when you told me about Pie asking you out on a date." She paused momentarily, searching her thoughts for a half-second. "To be honest, I've been having my own issues with Quiche, so I might have been projecting a bit."

Lettuce blinked, meeting Ichigo's gaze with her clear blue eyes. "You don't have to apologize Ichigo," she started, "It didn't bother me much. But uh, if you don't mind me asking…what's going on with Quiche?"

Ichigo's mind was immediately filled with recollections of a twinge in her stomach, brilliant gold eyes and the smell of cloves. Ichigo fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve anxiously.

"Just him pestering me all the time," she muttered. She tried her best to sound irritated despite the strange mix of emotions whirling in her head. "He made a scene in front of some guests the other day with his flirting, and I guess I'm just fed up with being busy all the time at work and having to deal with him too. Not to say the alien boys are all the same. I guess I've just been anxious around them lately."

Lettuce paused on this for a moment as they walked. "No I understand," she replied after a pause. "So does Aoyama know that Quiche has been bothering you at all?"

Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek. "Well…" she started hesitantly, "...not exactly. I'm sure he wouldn't be surprised if I talked to him about it. But Aoyama and Quiche had a pretty bad argument when the aliens first showed up at the airport…when I was picking Aoyama up from his flight…"

Ichigo's voice trailed off as her thoughts caught up to the trickle of words spilling from her lips. She hesitated to continue her train of thought, but Lettuce finished it for her: "...and you don't want Aoyama and Quiche fighting again?"

Ichigo sighed. "Yeah," she admitted. "I mean, Aoyama has less than 2 weeks before he leaves again! I don't want him stressed the entire time because Quiche is being a pain."

Lettuce nodded thoughtfully, "Well Ichigo, that seems like–"

Lettuce stopped suddenly, her voice trailing off. Ichigo watched as Lettuce narrowed her eyes behind her circular glasses.

"I– is that–" Lettuce started hesitantly, staring straight ahead. Ichigo followed her gaze, eyes widening. She sucked in a breath sharply when she realized what was happening.

The creature emerging from the center of the park to their left was unmistakably a chimera animal. It was burrowing out from the muddy dirt path running parallel to their walkway. The chimera looked to be the size of a car, its fur a deep purple and covered in spiney needles. Its form was similar to that of a mole; beady, red eyes searched the park before landing on Ichigo and Lettuce.

Ichigo stiffened. _Why would a chimera appear here, now?_ Ichigo's conversations with Ryou and Quiche bubbled up in her mind. She wasn't with Aoyama this time, so where did this chimera come from? Ichigo didn't have time to wonder about its sudden appearance – the chimera let out a loud shriek, startling Ichigo out of her daze.

"There's no one around!" Lettuce cried out, "Hurry, Ichigo, we need to transform!"

Ichigo nodded, pulling out her pendant from her back pocket and kissing it hurriedly.

"Mew Mew Ichigo, Metamorphosis!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce, Metamorphosis!"

Ichigo felt the familiar warmth of her body changing in her metamorphosis. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she allowed her power to envelop her figure in a gentle, pulsing wave of strength. Once she felt her platform boots touch the ground, Ichigo opened her blazing pink eyes and quickly summoned her strawberry bell.

"Lettuce!" she called out to her friend behind her, "I'm going to try to get behind it if you can distract from the front!"

"Okay!" Lettuce yelled back. Ichigo tucked away her fear and anxiety about taking down the chimera with only Lettuce helping her. She began to run in a wide circle around the chimera, feeling the rain prick at her shoulders as she kept her eyes trained on the beast. Lettuce rushed towards the chimera to Ichigo's right, summoning her castanets and calling out her attack.

"Ribbon LETTUCE RUSH!"

Two jets of water rushed out of her weapons and hit the chimera with a crash. The chimera fell backwards, shrieking loudly. Ichigo skidded to a stop just 20 meters behind the chimera. Lettuce's hit was a short-lived victory – the mole-like creature shook off the water from its spiney fur and abruptly dove down into the hole from which it had first appeared.

"Ichigo!" Lettuce yelled in alarm, "it's burrowing! Look out, it could come out anywhere!"

"I know!" Ichigo yelled back, crouching and whirling around to study any movement on the ground. Then, she felt a slow, deep rumble bubbling up beneath her feet. Ichigo immediately began to sprint as fast as she could, further towards the back of the park. The rumbling beneath her feet seemed to follow her the whole way, growing in intensity as she ran.

Ichigo felt like she was gasping for air, her lungs burning from the strain of her breakneck sprint as she squinted into the sheet of rain. Her dress was soaking wet and heavy. Ichigo knew she was about to lose the race against the chimera digging beneath her feet if she didn't think fast.

Sucking in a breath of air, Ichigo whirled around and dug her heel into the muddy grass, taking off abruptly in the opposite direction. She looked over her shoulder as she heard the sound of cracking roots from the surrounding trees. The chimera squirmed out of the grass, shrieking at Ichigo and flexing the sharp spines on its fur.

Ichigo was completely out of breath. She turned to face the chimera, holding up her strawberry bell and concentrating all of her energy into an attack.

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK!" she cried out in a hoarse voice. White light erupted from her weapon and shot towards the chimera. The creature easily ducked back into the ground before the attack could reach it.

"Ichigo!" came Lettuce's voice from across the park. "Be careful!"

Ichigo turned to look back at her friend for a brief moment. A splash of color behind Lettuce caught her eye, though it was hard to distinguish in the pouring rain. Ichigo narrowed her eyes. She made out the distant forms of Pudding and Zakuro rushing towards the park.

Relief flooded over Ichigo at the sight of more of her teammates. However, that relief was short-lived when the ground beneath her began to shake violently. Ichigo immediately regretted breaking her concentration, taking two wide steps back before she felt herself being thrown in the air by the chimera bursting from the earth beneath her. She let out a shriek as she fell to the ground and landed on her back with a loud thud. She skidded across the wet grass, gasping for air and looking up at the creature towering above her.

Ichigo scrambled backwards on her back as she rushed to get away from the menacing beast. She narrowly avoided a swipe of a spiny arm. Gasping, she turned and clamoured to her feet, only to be met with the grasp of someone picking her up. Ichigo let out a yelp of surprise as she felt her feet leave the ground.

Ichigo immediately recognized what was happening when she inhaled the now-familiar smell of cloves mixed with grass. She felt the telltale flush creep up her cheeks as she realized she had an iron grip around Quiche's shoulders, and her legs wrapped tightly around his hips. She loosened her grip on his shoulders so she could fix him with a scowl. Quiche's molten gold visage was the very definition of smug.

"Hm, this is comfortable, isn't it?" he quipped, grinning. Ichigo felt a squeeze on her upper thigh and realized that Quiche had one arm supporting her under her butt and thighs, and one wrapped tightly around her waist. Her crimson blush deepened.

"P-p-put me down!" she stammered.

"Don't think I will," Quiche replied, raising an eyebrow. He glanced down at the ground briefly. "In case you haven't noticed, this chimera is partially blind – it relies on its sense of movement on the ground to attack."

"How did you know that?" Ichigo demanded, bewildered. She glanced down at the confused chimera, then instantly regretted it – they were about 50 meters off the ground. She gripped Quiche's shoulders tightly, unwittingly pulling herself closer to him as she tried to swallow her fear of heights. When she met Quiche's gaze again, he was studying her with a smirk and a fire in his eyes. Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek.

"In case you forgot, kitten, I'm somewhat of an expert on chimera animals," Quiche said. Ichigo felt them start to move in the air. "Stay behind those of us who can fly for now."

Ichigo realized that Quiche was flying them closer to the rest of the mews as they slowly began to descend closer to the ground. "How about you quit telling me what to do!" she fired back, feeling her stomach churn as the ground grew closer.

"Yeah, because running aimlessly around the park was working out _really well f_ or you before," Quiche replied sarcastically. His boot touched the ground first, then he relaxed his hold on Ichigo and allowed her to slip out of his grasp and land on her feet. She immediately took two steps back and clenched her gloved hands into fists.

"Don't worry kitten," Quiche said with a grin, walking backwards with his hands behind his head, "I won't mess it up this time."

Ichigo furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth to reply but Quiche turned and took off into the air. Ichigo watched him summon his weapons in his hands. She suddenly recalled how he had nearly gotten himself hurt in the battle with the chimera just days ago.

"Quiche! Be careful!" she yelled into the air after him. She didn't know where the words of concern came from, except that she knew how reckless Quiche could be.

Squinting into the rain, Ichigo spotted Pie and Tart hovering above the chimera on the other side of the park. Pie appeared to be diverting the chimera away from the mews, while Tart seemed to be summoning roots out of the ground to try to keep the chimera in place.

Ichigo felt an arm on her shoulder. She turned to catch Lettuce's concerned gaze.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Lettuce asked fervently.

Ichigo nodded. "I'm fine! Lettuce, I know what to do now — the chimera animal is partially blind," Ichigo started. She glanced at the other four mews just arriving and nodded to them.

"Okay, listen up!" Ichigo called, "Mint, we need you at the front with Quiche, Pie and Tart. This chimera is mostly blind and can't anticipate any attacks from the air!"

Mint nodded, "Got it! Leave it to me." Mint took off to join the aliens in the air hovering above the chimera animal.

"Next, we need Zakuro, and Pudding behind everyone who can fly," Ichigo instructed, "You two have weapons that can keep the chimera in one place. Lettuce, Berry and I can bring up the rear."

"Rodger!" Pudding yelled enthusiastically, pumping a fist in the air.

"Makes sense," Zakuro agreed. "Let's go, Pudding." The two girls started a jog towards the agitated chimera animal.

"Berry," Ichigo addressed the blonde mew, "Whoever gets to the chimera first needs to perform a check on it to separate it from the body. Either your Loveberry Check or my Strawberry Check, whoever gets the best shot."

"Yep!" Berry agreed with a grin, "Leave it to me!"

Ichigo nodded and motioned for Lettuce and Berry to follow her towards the scene of the battle. Already she could see that the team was making a mess of the park. Tangled roots were springing up from all over the park as Tart tried to entangle the creature from the ground. Pie and Quiche were both trying to land a shot with their electricity — Pie's golden streaks of lightning and Quiche's blue electric shocks barely missing the chimera as it rapidly ducked and burrowed into the muddy soil. Pudding's jelly attacks appeared to slow the creature, but it burrowed out of her confines in a matter of seconds.

"Hold it still!" Mint screamed down at the mews below. Zakuro watched the ground as the beast sprung up from its tunnels. She quickly cracked her whip at the creature —

"Ribbon ZAKURO SPEAR!"

Her whip managed to catch the foot of the chimera before it could burrow again. "Nice one!" Quiche applauded from above.

Suddenly, the creature yanked Zakuro's whip with a shriek. Zakuro yelped as she was flung in the air suddenly, up and over the chimera, losing the grip on her weapon.

"I got you!" Mint called to her. She caught Zakuro midair and flew both of them back to the rest of the mews. The chimera seemed to notice the increase in bodies on the ground; it whipped around to face the cluster of mews crouched on the ground.

"Everyone, get out of the way!" Ichigo screamed at her teammates. The group of mews scrambled in different directions as the chimera took a swipe in their direction with its spiney paw. It narrowly missed, sending Pudding and Lettuce diving to the ground to avoid the attack. Ichigo grit her teeth, mind racing as she struggled to think of how to pin down the chimera.

She spotted a flash of purple in the corner of her eye – Zakuro's whip. It was still caught on the chimera's leg, wrapped tightly with the hilt discarded on the ground. Ichigo glanced up into the air.

"Tart!" she yelled up at the young alien. Tart turned to catch Ichigo's gaze. "Zakuro's whip! Grab the hilt and pull!"

"Are you crazy, old hag?" Tart screamed back at her. "This chimera probably weighs two tons!"

Ichigo was momentarily distracted by a shriek of the chimera as Lettuce fired another Lettuce Rush into its eyes. The beast shook off the water and swiped its spiny paws in Lettuce's direction. Ichigo sucked in a breath as Lettuce narrowly dodged the attack.

Refocusing, Ichigo scowled up at Tart. "Come on twerp, now's not the time to argue!" she snapped. "We need to keep it from burrowing!"

Ichigo saw Tart roll his eyes. "Fine!" he spat reluctantly. Turning, he dove towards the hilt of the whip. He snatched it from the ground with ease and pulled sharply, flying backwards with the hilt in both hands. The reaction from the chimera was instantaneous – Zakuro's whip was strong, and seemed to be hurting the leg of the chimera. The creature fell on its front legs at first, then righted itself. It turned its head and snarled in Tart's direction.

"Shit!" Tart swore, straining to hold on to the hilt. The atmosphere around Tart shifted slightly before Quiche appeared beside him.

"Hang on!" Quiche yelled. He grabbed on to the guards of the hilt and began to pull next to Tart.

The chimera began to resist further, digging its massive paws in the dirt in an attempt to burrow. It strained against the whip, thrashing left and right in an attempt to throw the alien boys off of its restraint.

"It's working!" yelled Mint from the air above Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" screamed Quiche, "We're losing it! Now's your chance!"

Ichigo clenched her jaw and took off towards the front of the chimera, running around the side of the beast. She skidded to a stop not ten feet from its mud-covered snout. The chimera bared its teeth at Ichigo, snarling into her face as she quickly raised her Strawberry Bell.

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK!"

White light erupted from Ichigo's weapon and swallowed the body of the chimera animal. It shrieked as it grew smaller, warm light enveloping its form and radiating heat out into the rainy chill of the park. Ichigo relaxed her grip on the Strawberry Bell, lowering it slowly as she watched the chimera animal change back into nothing more than a common garden mole.

Ichigo slumped her shoulders and let out a long, relieved breath. Pudding dashed to her side and tackled Ichigo in a hug.

"Yay! We did it!" Pudding squealed, squeezing Ichigo in her arms. Ichigo grinned as the other mews jogged over to her. Tart touched down next to Zakuro and handed her her whip. Zakuro nodded in thanks, twirling the hilt between her fingers.

"Wow, that was scary," Lettuce remarked, powering down to her normal self. "The chimera animal seemed to come out of nowhere. How...how did you all get to Ichigo and I so fast?"

"Ah! It was Quiche who told us!" Pudding chimed in.

Ichigo furrowed her brow, confused.

"He told us something was wrong and you were in trouble, and to follow him!" Pudding continued energetically. "Turns out he was right!"

"Wha – how?" Ichigo interjected. She glanced around at the other mews, searching for answers. Mint and Berry looked at each other and shrugged.

"Shirogane must have told Quiche that he spotted something on the radar," Berry hypothesized, tapping her cheek thoughtfully.

Ichigo glanced over Berry's shoulder, catching glimpses of a conversation happening outside of the group of mews. Quiche, Pie and Tart stood in a circle a few meters away. Quiche looked defensive, crossing his arms and scowling up at Pie.

"Hell if I know! I just heard the voice and followed it!"

"The same one as last time?"

"Obviously!"

Ichigo tilted her head slightly. She powered down to her normal teenage appearance as she pieced together her thoughts. _A voice? And it's happened more than once?_

Pie seemed to catch on to the fact that the alien boys had an audience for their conversation. He turned to look back at the mews with a steely grey gaze. Quiche and Tart followed suit, abruptly halting their discussion. Ichigo involuntarily locked eyes with Quiche as he turned. He appeared to read her confused expression – a brief look of concern flashed across his face before he quickly hid it behind a smirk.

"Nosy bunch, you are," Quiche remarked, stretching his arms and resting his hands behind his head. "Try not to get into too much trouble without us."

"You guys barely helped!" Mint retorted, crossing her arms in a huff. Berry let out a snort of laughter.

"Hey, I did all the work holding that thing in place!" Tart fired back. He put his hands on his hips. "You all should be thanking me!"

"Sure, short stack," said Ichigo with a grin. The mews giggled around her as Tart turned a distinct shade of bright pink.

The mews and the alien boys agreed to return to the café together and recap the battle with Ryou and Keiichiro. Their walk in the rainy drizzle was filled with chatter hypothesizing the origins of the chimera, punctuated by laughs and jabs between the two groups.

Ichigo made a point to walk towards the back of the group with Mint and Zakuro; she wanted to observe the interaction between Lettuce and Pie. Sure enough, seeing that Ichigo was nowhere nearby, Lettuce offered to share her umbrella with Pie. The tall alien boy held the umbrella high above their heads as they walked side by side. Ichigo smiled, prodding Mint with her elbow and nodding in the direction of the couple so that Mint could see. Mint's face grew into a curious smile.

"Well, how about that," she murmured to Ichigo. Mint sighed wistfully. "It's almost like we're one big team now."

"I suppose so," Ichigo murmured quietly. She watched as Pie flashed Lettuce a rare, warm smile. "Almost."


	5. Twin Magnets

Ichigo put down her curling iron and picked up her hairspray, twirling the hot curl in her finger and spraying it lightly. She was nearly done curling the bottom section of her thick, ruby-red hair. She didn't curl her hair often, but she had a date with Masaya at the downtown botanical garden, and she was excited to dress up on her day off. She released the top section of her hair from a claw clip and sighed. _Still so much to go._

Ichigo had been planning her outfit since Wednesday – a pink, flowy midi skirt, a white cropped tank, brown wedge sandals and gold jewelry to match. The weather had cooperated splendidly; the forecast was 21°C and sunny – the perfect spring day.

She finished another curl and tucked it into the volumes of her finished hair. Masaya had only been in Tokyo for a few days, but they had already been on three dates. It didn't matter much to Ichigo – she felt like she could spend ages with Masaya. He was an easy conversationalist, and their dates flowed effortlessly. Ichigo wondered to herself what he would think of her hair; she hoped he would notice.

" _Your hair looks different … Wear it like that more often."_

She quickly shook the memory of Quiche's remarks out of her head, feeling her face redden. Small, intrusive thoughts about her persistent admirer had found their way into her mind more frequently as of late. The timing couldn't be worse, as Ichigo had only 10 days before Masaya would be gone again to London. The least she could do was keep her mind from wandering.

_But I can't help it_ , she told herself. She set down her curling iron and sprayed another batch of curls with hairspray. _How can I control what I think?_

Ichigo didn't realize how tense she was until her phone buzzed on her desk and she jumped in surprise. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then set down her hairspray. Someone was calling her. She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen.

_**Incoming Call  
Ryou Shirogane** _

"Oh no," Ichigo murmured to herself, rolling her eyes. She propped her chin up with one hand and reluctantly took the call.

"What, Shirogane? It's my day off, you know!" she said bluntly. Ichigo heard Ryou sigh on the other end.

"Look, Momomiya, I don't want to be talking to you on your day off either, but we've got some information about the chimeras. We've made a breakthrough after your battle yesterday, and I need to talk to the team about it."

"Talk like, _now_?" Ichigo interjected. "I have a date in an hour!"

"Don't worry, your boyfriend is invited too," Ryou said gruffly. "We need you down at the café, stat."

"But my hair is only half-curled!" Ichigo whined, glancing up at her reflection in her desk mirror.

"See you there," Ryou said. Ichigo heard a beeping tone – he had hung up.

"Ugh!" Ichigo groaned to herself, slamming her phone down on her desk. She massaged her temples wearily. Her thoughts bounced between concern for what could be so urgent to call in the whole mew team, and how she would fix her hair in the next few minutes. She settled on loosely curling and primping the top part of her hair, then tucking the rest into already-done curls. She set everything in another coat of hairspray, changed into the outfit for her date, and dashed down the stairs.

"Going on my date now! Back tonight!" Ichigo announced to her dad as she rounded the corner towards the front door.

Shintaro Momomiya looked up from his e-reader. He frowned, peering over the top of his glasses. "Wait, where are you going again? When are you back?"

Ichigo groaned and slouched against the front door, one hand on the handle. "The botanical gardens, and I'll be back before 10."

"10? That's late, Ichigo! You know crime rates go up when it's warm out–"

"Call if you need anything! See ya!"

"Wait – are you wearing that shirt that shows your stomach? Wait–WAIT!"

Ichigo swung open the front door and shut it behind her in one fluid motion. She cringed at the thought of all of the angry texts from her dad she was bound to receive later. Beginning her brisk walk in the direction of the café, Ichigo relished the sun on her bare shoulders as she strode. She took delight in how the light, breezy fabric of her skirt swished about her legs.

_Just got to get through this stupid meeting,_ Ichigo reassured herself, _...and then Masaya and I will have the most perfect date ever._

She was pleasantly surprised to find Masaya waiting for her outside the café as she rounded the corner leading up to the walkway. He sat on one of the benches to the side of the café entrance, dressed in a light blue polo and dark slacks. Ichigo noticed his slightly more formal attire and wondered briefly if she should have opted for something nicer.

Masaya was hunched over his phone as Ichigo approached, scrolling through something before he noticed her approaching. He glanced up as she drew closer, then smiled. Ichigo beamed as he stood up to embrace her in a hug.

"You look amazing," Masaya murmured into her hair. Ichigo felt herself blushing as she buried her face in the warmth of his chest.

"Th-thank you," she replied softly. She broke from Masaya and smiled up at his warm expression. "Want to head inside?"

"Sure," Masaya agreed. He took Ichigo's hand in his, then led her to the double doors of the café. He opened the door for Ichigo, then followed in after her through the empty dining room. Ichigo relished the feeling of Masaya's hand in hers. She moved her thumb up and down his hand absent-mindedly as the couple found their way to the basement door. Masaya opened the door for Ichigo then, too, following in after her and down the concrete stairs.

The basement was packed with far too many people. The dingy office was full of computer monitors, miscellaneous tech, posters and filing cabinets, and it felt even more claustrophobic with a dozen people crammed in its tiny square footage. Ichigo and Masaya appeared to be the last ones to arrive – the mews were already chattering amongst themselves, and the alien boys lingered towards the back of the room. Tart was floating nonchalantly with his legs crossed; Quiche was explaining something to him from his perch on top of a filing cabinet. Ryou pointed Pie to something on his open laptop. Ichigo caught Ryou's eye as he looked up from the screen.

"Well, look who decided to show up!" Ryou announced. "For Christ's sake, do you need a map to the café, Momomiya?"

Ichigo scowled and crossed her arms. "Shut it, Shirogane! You're the one who called me in on my day off!"

"Whatever, we're already late so let's just get started," Ryou said. He stood up from his seat at the desk. "Hey, everyone listen up!"

The chatter ceased amongst the occupants of the room. Everyone turned to look at Ryou. Satisfied, Ryou crossed his arms and continued.

"The reason I called all of you in to talk is because Keiichiro, Pie, Quiche, Tart and I believe we have a breakthrough in our research on the recent chimera activity. It's crucial you all know what's going on for your own safety."

"Wait, so chimeras could surprise us at any time?" Pudding interrupted, eyes as wide as saucers. Mint, standing next to the blonde mew, rolled her eyes.

"Not exactly," Ryou replied. "I'm getting to that. First I want to establish a timeline of exactly what's been happening over the past few days.

"So first, we had the small pack of low-leveled leopard chimeras you all took care of on Sunday, about a half-hour before the larger incident on the train. Very shortly after, three things happened very quickly: Quiche, Pie and Tart arrived back on Earth, Aoyama reunited with Momomiya, and the leopard cub on the train with Momomiya and Aoyama suddenly transformed into a larger, very serious threat – much, much more powerful than the small pack of low-leveled chimeras you all fought earlier in the day."

A few of the mews nodded as Ryou paused. Ryou looked steadily around the group. "Something else surprising happened during our battle on the train – Aoyama was able to use some of his leftover power from when he was Deep Blue. He effectively entered a weakened, transformed state for some brief moments. It was enough that he was able to keep Momomiya from drowning by creating a weak force field around them underwater."

Masaya nodded, "That's right. It was...very strange. I've never experienced a resurgence of my power like that."

"We're all glad for it, too!" Berry chimed in enthusiastically. "You're a hero for saving Ichigo!"

Ichigo smiled and gave Masaya's hand a squeeze. Ryou made eye contact with Ichigo for a brief moment before continuing. "Yes, well...since the incident with the chimera on the train, we've been working to identify why chimeras are suddenly reappearing in Tokyo, seemingly unprovoked."

"So no one's controlling them?" Mint asked, concern dotting her tone. "It's not like the Saint Rose Crusaders?"

"No, not that we can tell," Ryou answered. "We've been searching for a common thread. And your battle with another chimera yesterday – another powerful one, at that – gave us more data to analyze. We think we know what's causing them to transform on their own."

Ryou paused, leaving the question hanging in the air as he opened his laptop again. He clicked into a window and flipped the device around so that everyone could see the screen. The rest of the room leaned in to peer at the map on the computer.

It looked like a map of the surrounding areas of Tokyo, with two squiggles – one colored red, one colored green. The lines met in clusters around the map, but sometimes broke off from each other to create loops and clusters elsewhere. Ichigo narrowed her eyes when she recognized the locations on the map.

"Hey wait, the red line is all around my house!" she said, "...and that's the café! What the heck is this?"

"The red line is your location, Momomiya, over the past five days or so," Ryou explained.

"Hey, that's creepy!" Ichigo protested loudly, scowling. "Why didn't you tell me you've been following where I go?"

"Are you going to let me finish, Momomiya? I can't tell you why if you won't let me talk." Ryou said impatiently.

Ichigo crossed her arms and huffed. "Fine."

"Anyway," Ryou continued, "the second line is an approximate location of a second source of energy that we believe was dormant up until recently – the green line is yours, Aoyama."

Masaya tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand," he said in a low tone. "Why would you track Momomiya and I, specifically?"

"We weren't at first," Ryou explained. "We were collecting data on basically anything out of the ordinary – using old data from the Mew Project, we began tracking the atmospheric conditions of basically anything to do with chimeras or alien activity, like we did years ago. We spotted an anomaly almost immediately, but it wasn't until I showed this data to Pie that I was able to understand it fully."

Ryou glanced over to Pie, who was standing off to his left. Pie cleared his throat. "Yes," he began hesitantly. "At first I thought Quiche, Tart and I had a stowaway on our ship when I saw the reading from Shirogane on the energy moving around Tokyo – it looked exactly like one of us three. But when we matched the patterns to Momomiya, we realized it was actually Aoyama."

Everyone in the room glanced over at Masaya. Masaya looked deep in thought, his brow furrowed. "So what you're getting at is that... I have some sort of alien energy still in me? And it's somehow the cause of all of this?"

"Wait," Ichigo interrupted, "Aoyama wasn't even there yesterday when the chimera showed up out of nowhere!"

"Right, this is where it gets complicated," Ryou said. He flipped the laptop back to face away from the group, then typed something in. He flipped the laptop back around. The screen showed something akin to a heat map – with reds and oranges in patches where the red and green lines intersected.

"This is a map showing the strongest readings on Aoyama's power. And this…" Ryou tapped a button, and three white pins appeared on the map, "...are the three different instances of chimera attacks, including the very weak pack of chimeras we fought right before the train incident."

The pins fell within the wide swaths of red and orange patches. Ichigo scowled, trying to quickly wrap her head around the information.

"So if I'm understanding this correctly," Masaya said, still staring into the glowing light of the laptop screen, "The chimeras are appearing at some sort of intersection between Momomiya and I?"

"Essentially," Pie answered. "It's somewhat up to chance, but our current hypothesis is that since your power as the Blue Knight – and as Deep Blue – were both awoken by your attachment to Momomiya, your power only flares up when you are near to each other."

"Think of it like twin magnets," Ryou added. "By being in close contact with each other during this flare-up of Aoyama's power, you're creating a sort of magnetic field all across Tokyo. We're hypothesizing that this energy field between you two may be unintentionally incubating the chimeras in the area."

"It doesn't help that Tokyo is basically a parasite minefield," Quiche chimed in, drawing everyone's attention to where he sat cross-legged on the file cabinet. He was picking at his nails casually. "Even after those 'Crusaders' or whatever came in here and tried to round up all of the leftover chimera parasites, they couldn't get them all."

"Yeah, because Quiche is a dumbass and tried to infect practically anything that moved, at least before Pie and I got here to straighten things out!" Tart added. Quiche reached out and swatted Tart on the back of his head, eliciting an "ow!" from the younger boy.

"I don't buy it," Mint interjected. She put her hands on her hips and scowled as she spoke. "You're telling me that the aliens just happened to show up at the exact time this all started happening, but it's somehow Aoyama's fault?"

"Listen, witch, I don't like what you're getting at, but none of us are out here making chimera animals!" Tart bit back, glaring down Mint.

Mint curled her nose up at Tart. "Right, says you!"

"The only one who can create a chimera animal as strong as the one from yesterday is Quiche, and he's been too busy womanizing all of the chicks in this stupid café to be terrorizing you hags with chimeras," Tart argued loudly.

_Smack!_ Quiche hit Tart over the back of the head again, harder this time. "Ow, what the hell?" Tart whined, glaring up at an annoyed Quiche.

Ryou quickly interjected, "Hey, would you two quit it? Listen, it's a remarkable coincidence, but we're lucky Quiche, Pie and Tart arrived when they did. We wouldn't know any of this new information without their help."

"Wait, so what do we do now?" Ichigo asked. She was still struggling to wrap her mind around all of the new information.

"For now, it's a game of wait-and-see," Ryou replied. He turned to address the whole group. "But we wanted to call all of you here to let you know the circumstances surrounding the chimeras. Based on what we know, the chimeras will only appear when either Aoyama, or Momomiya, or both are present. If you're around one or both of them, be aware of the risk. Otherwise, you should be in the clear."

Ichigo felt a sort of dull rage and sadness brewing in the pit of her stomach. She was essentially a chimera magnet, and it was all because of Masaya visiting her in Tokyo. Her head felt cloudy, like it was full of smoke. She clenched her jaw, trying to piece together how to feel, or what to say. Her only thought, repeating over and over in her head, was how unfair it all was. _Unfair. Unfair. Unfair._

"The good news is that once Aoyama skips off to London again, we probably won't have to worry about any of this," Quiche remarked. Ichigo's eyes snapped up to glare at him; he met her angry stare with a smug look. Ichigo felt all of the complicated emotions in the pit of her stomach bubbling up into her words.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you...what all of you want now! 'Won't it be great when Masaya leaves?!' You know what, I'm done! With all of this!"

Ichigo abruptly whirled around and shoved her way between her friends standing behind her. She dashed up the stairs and into the light of the café, feeling the prick of incoming tears at the outer corners of her eyes. _Unfair, unfair, unfair._

How was she supposed to enjoy the rest of Masaya's time in Tokyo when the fear of chimeras would follow them everywhere they went? How could her friends be excited for Masaya to visit, when his very presence in Tokyo was causing danger all around them? Ichigo wiped angry tears out of her eyes as she pushed open the heavy front doors of the café and stepped out into the afternoon sun.

"Ichigo!" came Masaya's voice from behind her, calling her by her first name. Ichigo sighed into her hands over her face and stopped a few meters from the café. She soon felt a warm hand on her back.

"Are you okay?" Masaya said with concern. He wrapped Ichigo in a slow, comforting hug. Ichigo hesitantly encircled her arms around Masaya's middle. She buried her face in his shirt, feeling her throat tightening itself into a knot. She didn't want him to see her crying.

"I just…" she started slowly. She took a long, shaky breath. "It's all just...so unfair."

"I know," Masaya said, rubbing one hand up and down Ichigo's back. "We'll be okay, though, Momomiya – we always are. You know nothing can keep us apart."

Ichigo nodded into Masaya's shirt, sniffing loudly. "Yeah I know," she murmured. "I just...really wanted to enjoy our time together...before all this happened…"

"And we will," Masaya reassured her. "We'll still do all of the things we planned. We'll make the most out of our time, I promise." He pulled away from Ichigo to smile down at her. Ichigo nodded slowly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Okay," she agreed. She smiled weakly at Masaya, who beamed at her with warm, velvety brown eyes. Ichigo felt as though she could swim in the depth of his smile, or wrap herself up in its comfort like a blanket.

Ichigo heard the door swing open again behind her. Soon, the rest of the mews were gathering by her side one by one.

"Ichigo, you okay?" came Lettuce's soft voice from her left. Ichigo nodded, glancing around at the concerned faces of her friends.

"Yeah, I...I'm sorry for the way I acted back there," Ichigo said meekly.

"Don't apologize," came Zakuro's reassuring voice. "That meeting was alarming."

"No kidding!" Pudding chirped. "What a weird meeting! Chimera magnets!"

"Listen, Ichigo, we're your friends – and we're always going to support you and Aoyama, no matter what," Mint said, placing a dainty hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "None of us blame you or Aoyama for what's happening."

Ichigo nodded slowly and let out a deep breath. "Thank you, all. It's just a bit overwhelming, that's all."

"We're a team, you know!" Pudding said, grabbing one of Ichigo's hands. "We're the Mew Mews, and we'll always have each others' backs!" Ichigo smiled and squeezed Pudding's hand.

"Right," Ichigo agreed, glancing up at Masaya with a smile. He returned it with a nod. "We can get through all of this together."

"In the meantime, you're late for a date!" Mint said, giving Ichigo a light push on her back. "Don't waste an outfit like that on a bad day."

Ichigo giggled and wrapped one arm around Masaya. He circled her shoulders with a light squeeze. "We're off, then," Masaya announced to the group. "Thank you all for your support. It means a lot to Momomiya and I."

Ichigo said goodbye to her friends and made her way to the train station with Masaya's hand in hers. Despite the heaviness in the air after the meeting, Ichigo was glad to be by Masaya's side. An air of uneasiness hung over them like a stormcloud, but Ichigo tried her best to shield her thoughts from anything but her joy in her boyfriend's presence.

_Only ten days left,_ Ichigo reminded herself as she boarded the train with Masaya. _Make them count._


	6. Lavender Icing

Ichigo slammed her locker shut with a tired sort of carelessness. She had finally trudged her way through her first day of school after her spring break. She turned in all of her homework she had been working on over the break, and got another mountain of homework assignments in return. Sighing, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked to the café, relishing the fresh, spring air and streaks of sun in the partly cloudy sky.

Her date with Masaya over the weekend had been nearly perfect, despite the frightening team meeting from the morning. She and Masaya had enjoyed a full day of exploring the botanical garden, stopping for ice cream afterwards and taking in the joys of Tokyo in the springtime. Their conversation was centered mostly around Masaya's next project at work – a study on some sort of endangered toad only found in the UK. Ichigo had only been half paying attention; her thoughts had been wandering subconsciously back to the chimera battles. She often wished she had a better control over her subconscious thoughts, and felt immensely guilty upon realizing that she couldn't really, truly focus on Masaya's research into how to repopulate the native habitat of an endangered amphibian.

Stepping into the café, Ichigo weaved her way through the busy dining room and through to the back room. She dropped her bag and was about to change before Mint stuck her head in the doorway.

"Hey Ichigo," she chirped, stepping into the back room, "did you hear about the charity event Shirogane is putting on?"

Ichigo blinked. "N-no?"

"We're hosting a charity gala for a local wildlife rescue," said Mint. She was practically beaming, a rare show of excitement for the normally level-headed girl. "The venue the rescue had picked out fell through, and they contacted Shirogane asking to host it here. The gala is just two days from now, this Wednesday."

Mint sighed a wistful sigh, leaning against the doorframe of the back room. She tucked a lock of silky blue hair behind her ear. "It will be my first gala in forever! I can't wait to try on dresses…"

"Two _days_?" Ichigo repeated, concern in her tone. "That's so soon! How are we going to get everything ready?"

"Everyone's pitching in, naturally," said Mint. She picked at her nails idly. "I'm sure Shirogane and Keiichiro will give you something to do."

"Of course," Ichigo sighed. She was mentally preparing herself for another boatload of work to do – yet another barrier in the way of spending time with her visiting boyfriend. How was she supposed to manage all of her schoolwork, her shifts at the café, _and_ a last-minute party, all while making the most of her time with Masaya? He only had 8 days left in Tokyo.

Sensing Ichigo's melancholy, Mint added, "Oh, and I'm sure you can bring a date! I know Aoyama is an expert on endangered species, so he may want to attend, regardless of him being your boyfriend."

Ichigo perked up. Her mind's eye was a vision of her and Masaya, dancing a romantic waltz in the center of the café while everyone watched. A welcome distraction from the turmoil around the chimeras, and a romantic evening with Masaya? It sounded almost too good to be true. She smiled.

"Yes, that would be perfect," Ichigo told Mint dreamily. She cupped her face in her palm, thinking. Her brow furrowed as she snapped out of her whimsical vision. "Wait, two days though? How the heck am I going to find a dress in time?"

Just then, Pudding bounded into the room. She lit up when she saw that Ichigo had arrived.

"Ichigo! I need your help picking the colors for the party streamers!" she squealed excitedly. Ichigo blinked in surprise, then grinned at the young girl's enthusiasm.

"Ok Pudding, let's see!" said Ichigo. Pudding took hold of Ichigo's wrist, leading her out into the dining area in stride. Ichigo hesitantly followed, fearing the wrath of Ryou if she started work late because of Pudding.

Pudding pointed to the ceiling of the cafe. "Look big sis, which one? Which color?"

Ichigo, confused, looked up and saw that there were already 3 sections of streamer hanging from the high ceilings of the café – red, yellow, and white.

"Wha… how…" Ichigo started, before noticing the precariously-placed ladder up against one of the walls of the café. Tart, visibly annoyed, stood at the base of the ladder. Ichigo made eye contact with him briefly. He rolled his eyes.

Ichigo put her hands on her hips and looked down at Pudding in disbelief. "Pudding, you didn't need to put all of them up there for us to see! This is dangerous!" she scolded. The younger girl simply laughed.

"Listen Ichigo, I am a PRO at acrobatics, and ladders are easy as cake! That's besides the point, though – you didn't tell me which color you like!"

Ichigo sighed in defeat. Pudding was not in the mood to take feedback on her dangerous antics. She looked up at the ceiling again and tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I actually like all of them!" Ichigo declared truthfully. The various streamers, twisted over each other, gave the pink café an extra burst of color as they swayed lightly in the breeze floating through the dining area.

"All of them?" Pudding exclaimed, eyes wide. She grinned. "Well that's a crazy answer! I love it! We'll do all of the colors!"

"Ok!" Ichigo agreed with a smile. With that decided, Ichigo made her way back to the back room, then the bathroom, changing into her work uniform and starting her shift.

The busy workday went by in a blur. Ichigo was lost in her thoughts between tables, thinking of what she would wear to the charity gala. She also wondered to herself if she would actually be able to take Masaya as a date. Mint was fairly certain she could, but Ichigo wondered if she had been too rude to Ryou lately for him to allow her to take her boyfriend to an important event like this one, especially after her outburst during the team meeting over the weekend. She could only hope that Ryou could find some ounce of pity in his cold, strict heart to let Ichigo take a date to the gala as recompense for her unfortunate situation with the chimeras.

Ichigo had closed out her last tab of the day and was preparing to start wiping down tables when Keiichiro caught her at the register.

"Ah, Momomiya!" he called, standing at the doorway of the kitchen, "I've been so busy baking today I forgot to talk to you about the gala!"

Ichigo perked up, smiling warmly at Keiichiro. "Don't worry Keiichiro, Mint already filled me in. I'm excited!"

"I am as well, though there's lots to do in only two days," Keiichiro said with a laugh. Ichigo remembered, then, her important question about her date to the gala.

"Oh, Keiichiro!" she started, "I actually was wondering if I could ask you something about the gala."

Keiichiro set down the tea towel he was holding and crossed his arms. "Sure Momomiya, what can I help with?"

Ichigo, suddenly feeling shy about asking the favor, picked at a hangnail as she spoke. "Well I was actually wondering…since the gala is for a wildlife rescue and all that...if you and Shirogane would be okay with me bringing Aoyama as a date?"

Keiichiro smiled. "Well of course you can!" he replied. "I don't see why not! I'm sure Aoyama will be the talk of the gala after all of his studies in London."

Ichigo beamed, new excitement bubbling in her chest. Her visions of dancing with Masaya in a ball gown returned to the forefront of her mind with renewed excitement. "Thank you so much!" she sang. "I'll work hard to make sure everything is set and ready to go for the gala!"

Keiichiro opened his mouth to say something, then paused and thought for a moment. "Actually," he started again, "Momomiya, would you be able to finish decorating this batch of lemon lavender tarts? They're finished baking but the pattern is quite complex. I need to rest for the day and help Shirogane downstairs, so I would love your help."

"Sure!" Ichigo agreed immediately. She was immensely thankful for Keiichiro letting her bring Masaya to the gala, so she didn't hesitate to accept the task.

"Wonderful!" Keiichiro exclaimed. "When you're done closing out that check you're working on, I'll show you how to do the piping and design on these tarts."

Ichigo nodded and quickly finished closing the tab at the register, delivering the check to her last table and bidding them a nice evening. Then, she let Zakuro know that she couldn't help with cleaning, and that Keiichiro needed her in the kitchen. She changed out of her café uniform and grabbed an apron from the hook by the kitchen door.

Returning to the kitchen, Ichigo set to work on learning the complicated design of the tart from Keiichiro. It consisted of criss-crossed piping in both purple and yellow royal icing, a sprinkling of candy stars, and a sprig of fresh lavender on each plate. They were pristine, perfect, and not at all in Ichigo's baking wheelhouse.

After the 3rd attempt, her tarts were looking noticeably more like Keiichiro's. He commended her for her efforts with a "Well done!" before glancing at the clock and leaving Ichigo to finish the rest of the 3 sheet pans. _36 tarts in total_ , she counted – and each one with a 10-step detailed process on how to decorate them.

By Ichigo's 8th tart, she began to fall into a meditative state, following the steps in a comfortable daze as her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Masaya's work in researching endangered species was sure to be the talk of the gala. But any time she thought about Masaya's studies in London, Ichigo's mind would begin to drift to the idea of moving there with him permanently. Her extended trip to London a year or so ago was a wonderful stay. She loved helping him with his research over those several weeks. However, she struggled with the language barrier in London. Her English was very bad, and she had to rely on Masaya to translate for her wherever they went.

Not to mention Ichigo's own plans for her future. She knew her grades were far from impressive. How would she be able to attend a British university while in London? Would she even qualify for student aid if she got into a university?

Ichigo had only wondered vaguely about her career beyond life as a mew, mostly because she had always pictured her life tied up with Masaya's. She figured that wherever he was, she would go. Now that her time as a high schooler was coming to an end, Ichigo knew she needed to make a decision on what the next stage of her life was. Was it in London? Maybe. But that wouldn't go without complications, and lots of sacrifice on her part.

Her biggest hesitation, however, rested in parting ways with her family and friends. Everyone Ichigo knew lived in Tokyo. Those weeks in London had been incredibly fun with Masaya. But whenever he was away at work or school, she found herself deeply lonely in a foreign country where no one spoke her language. Leaving her family and friends behind for somewhere like London was intimidating at best, and terrifying at worst.

Ichigo sighed, dropping a sprig of lavender on a plate of another completed tart. She picked up the plate and turned to place it on the counter with the other tarts.

Ichigo sucked in a breath as she suddenly locked eyes with Quiche. He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed. Ichigo jumped in surprise and let go of the plate; Quiche ducked towards her and quickly snatched the plate out of the air before it hit the ground.

He rose from his awkward crouch holding the plate and grinning. "Careful, kitten. You know how much Shirogane hates broken plates."

Ichigo scowled, snatching the tart back from Quiche. "How long have you been standing there?" she demanded, dropping the plate off on the counter with a clatter.

"Not long," said Quiche. He leaned against one side of the counter. "I was expecting to find Keiichiro. Why are you here so late?"

Ichigo opened her mouth to reply, but glanced at the clock first. It was nearly 8PM. She clapped her mouth shut and inhaled sharply, surprised at how much time had passed since she started decorating.

"I uh…" she started hesitantly. She glanced down at how many tarts she still had to decorate, "Keiichiro actually asked me to decorate all of these for the gala in a couple days… they're really detailed."

Quiche observed the tarts warily. "That's for sure," he remarked. "You still have about a dozen to go, too."

"Don't remind me," Ichigo sniffed, grabbing a bag of icing. She turned to start piping again and felt her hand cramping. She paused and glanced up at Quiche. He was observing her with apparent amusement, glancing between her and the tarts on the counter that had yet to be finished.

"I…can you help?" Ichigo asked reluctantly. A small voice in the back of her head whispered to her that this could be a _really_ bad idea, but she pushed it away quickly. Her hands were tired, and it was late. Besides, they were at work, and Ryou and Keiichiro were only steps away, just downstairs. What was the harm?

Quiche grinned. "Sure," he accepted, straightening off the counter and coming to stand next to Ichigo. Quiche observed the example tart Ichigo was working from, and the materials around the countertop. He looked perplexed. "Uh…how do you do this?"

Ichigo felt strangely smug about teaching Quiche how to make the tarts, especially after her recent jealousy around how quickly he had learned the ropes of the job at the café.

She thought carefully about how to divide up the work. "Well," she started, hands on her hips, "they have the icing part, which is just a bunch of lines, then they have all of those decorations on top. How about you do the criss cross icing, and I can do the decorations?" She looked up at Quiche; he was examining the example tart carefully. He lifted the plate to eye level so he could study the detail.

"Alright," he said finally, setting down the tart. Ichigo handed him the lemon icing bag – it was a little mangled from use, but still full of bright yellow icing. Quiche slipped it out of her hands carefully, curiously – Ichigo was surprised to feel that his hands were strangely cold to the touch.

"Your hands are freezing – were you just outside?" she asked, glancing up from Quiche's hands.

He looked confused, but answered nonchalantly, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

Ichigo opened her mouth to continue prodding with questions, but she shut it again, resolving to focus on the task at hand. "Nevermind," she muttered, breaking eye contact from Quiche's curious look. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anyway, so this is the lemon frosting - you use this one first when you do the criss cross, and the purple lavender goes on top of that."

She picked up the second bag of icing and handed it to Quiche. He set the piping bag down on his side of the workstation and examined the example tart again.

"Got it?" asked Ichigo.

"Um, sure," Quiche said lamely. He let out a nervous laugh. "These are going to look like fresh hell."

"Well then just follow the example!" exclaimed Ichigo. "You were the one who wanted to help!" She looked up at Quiche expectantly with her hands on her hips. Blinking, Quiche rolled his shoulders and picked up the yellow icing bag.

They were only three minutes into the decorating process when Ichigo realized that putting Quiche on the icing portion of their assembly line was a total disaster. His first attempt was a mess of globby, uneven lines, and the yellow lines on his second attempt were already looking too thick.

"Wait, hold on," Ichigo interjected as Quiche picked up the purple icing bag. "Your lines are way too big!"

"They're not that bad!" Quiche protested, gesturing to his second tart. "These ones are almost the same size as the example!"

"They're WAY thicker!" Ichigo insisted with a sigh. "Here, let me finish the purple on that one you're working on."

She reached out to grab the purple icing bag out of Quiche's hands, but he jolted it just out of her reach. Grinning playfully, he said, "No way kitten, I just started! Gimme a chance!"

Ichigo furrowed her brow. She leaned across the counter to snatch the bag from Quiche's hand, but he hoisted it high above his head. He smirked down at her with a raised eyebrow.

Scowling, Ichigo jumped and grabbed the bag, but she squeezed it just a little too hard. It burst open with a loud pop. Ichigo gasped as she felt a glob of icing land in her hair, and another one stick to her face. Blinking, she realized that most of the icing had landed on Quiche, who had purple all down the front of his grey long sleeve shirt and spritzes of purple on his face and hair.

Ichigo immediately burst out laughing — Quiche looked absolutely ridiculous. Quiche's shock turned to a grimace as he sheepishly looked down at his shirt.

"Now look what you've done!" he whined, holding out his shirt to survey the damage.

Ichigo, suppressing her giggling, said, "Well this wouldn't be a problem if you had just given me the stupid bag! Now you look like Pie's hair color threw up all over you!"

The comparison elicited a snort of laughter from Quiche. "I was doing fine until you got in my way!"

"You're so annoying!"

"Well you're a shit teacher!"

Ichigo, still grinning, reached behind her into the bowl of candy stars and picked up a handful. She drew back her arm, readying to throw them, but Quiche was faster. He snatched her wrist, and before Ichigo knew what was happening, he was kissing her.

The kiss was urgent, sudden and impulsive – Ichigo was startled as she felt a shockwave travel up through her body, sending a buzz from her toes to the tips of her fingers. Her stomach lept into her throat as Quiche's lips left hers for just a moment before meeting them again. She had forgotten what it felt like to kiss him – it had been years. But somehow she was transported back to when she was 13, and meeting Quiche for the first time. Ichigo could feel the chill of his hand gently tracing her jaw, but in that moment it felt like she was on fire.

Ichigo's fisted hand relaxed inadvertently, and the candy stars in her hand fell to the ground with a tiny chorus of tapping on the linoleum tile.

The sudden noise startled Ichigo out of the kiss; she broke away from Quiche suddenly and took two steps back, slapping her hand over her mouth in shock. He looked back at her warily – his amber eyes darting between hers, searching for a reaction. Ichigo felt frozen in place; her feet felt like they were made of lead. She could feel the loud thrumming of her heartbeat in her ears. Quiche looked just as surprised as she was – his expression was uncharacteristically serious, and unreadable to Ichigo. _Did he feel it too?_

A flash of something familiar glinted in his eyes. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, studying her curiously. The movement broke Ichigo out of her trance; she flinched.

Mind racing, Ichigo abruptly broke eye contact, whipped around and took off towards the back room, hastily grabbing her bag and slamming the back door open. She broke out into a jog into the night air of the park, still wearing an apron, and still with purple icing in her hair. Swallowing the cold air deeply, her mind was still reeling with what had just occurred. She hoped Quiche wouldn't follow her.

Ichigo slowed to a walk, then, tearing off the apron and balling it up hastily. She plucked the thoughts out of the whirling mess in her head and examined them one by one.

Her first thought – the kiss was shockingly, inescapably and undeniably good. Thinking about the electric connection between herself and Quiche sent little buzzing aftershocks down the tips of her fingers.

Her second thought – she shouldn't have that sort of reaction kissing someone who was _not_ her boyfriend. Whether or not she initiated the kiss was irrelevant. The smothering blanket of guilt was weighing heavy on the ball of shock and excitement bouncing around her stomach.

Her third thought – her ears felt...fuzzy. She reached up and felt the velvety tip of a cat ear. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she pulled out an old baseball cap from her bag and shoved her ears into it.

The walk back to her house felt long and arduous as Ichigo's mind rapidly swung from wanting to unpack her interaction with Quiche, to wanting to forget about the whole thing, sleep on it and deal with it in the morning. But there was no way she could just ignore the feeling in her stomach. She felt like she had just been set on fire. _But what would Masaya say? How do I tell him? Should I tell him tomorrow?_

The thought crossed Ichigo's mind that she could simply not tell him at all. She quickly shook it out of her head – lying by omission was not in her character. She had to tell Masaya. But the timing had to be right. It had taken no small amount of courage to break the news to Masaya a couple years ago that Quiche was, in fact, her first kiss. She always joked with Masaya that it didn't count. But this time, it was different. Masaya would not take lightly to the news that Quiche was ignoring Masaya's stern instructions to back off.

Ichigo suddenly began to worry – what if Masaya thought that she had feelings for Quiche? After all, Ichigo asked Quiche to help her in the kitchen, when she knew they would be alone. Would Masaya think she wanted to be alone with Quiche?

A small voice in the back of her head whispered: _Maybe you did want to be alone with him_. Ichigo shook it out of her head with a shutter and a sigh.

By the time she opened her front door, Ichigo felt like it had been hours since she left the café.

And so the night continued, Ichigo's thoughts bouncing around her head like a pinball machine even as she climbed into bed. Starting up at the ceiling of her bedroom, she wondered where she was supposed to go from here.

Ichigo closed her eyes and hoped for a deep, dreamless sleep to carry her away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Appreciate the kudos and hits so far! Please leave a comment or kudos if you can. This has been a super fun brain-dump of a fic and I'm excited to keep going.
> 
> A quick note that if you're waiting for the storyline to pick up a little more, the plot moves quite a bit faster after this chapter. Cheers & hope you enjoy! <3


	7. Hearing Voices

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Ichigo? Are you awake?"

The door opened with a click and a creak. Ichigo groaned, cracking open puffy, tired eyes into the morning light. Her head hurt, and her throat was dry, scratchy. Her mom stuck her head into her room. She checked her watch.

"Ichigo, it's nearly 9 AM!" her mom exclaimed. "You've already missed your first class!"

Ichigo sat straight up. She gasped, and her raspy throat elicited a cough. "What?" Ichigo yelled, throwing off her comforter. "Crap! I slept in!"

"Well get a move on!" her mom yelled. "Honestly, Ichigo! It's only your second day back at school after spring break!"

Ichigo rushed around her bedroom, throwing on her uniform and shoving books into her backpack. "I know, I know! I just had a rough night at work!" she lamented to her mom – a half lie.

"Well it's no matter now!" her mom said, exasperated. Ichigo threw her hair into a ponytail, checking her appearance in the mirror briefly, and rushed past her mom in the doorway. She hastily stepped into her shoes and sprinted out the front door.

The short train ride to school and her remaining classes went by in a hazy blur. Ichigo felt as though she'd only gotten a couple hours of precious sleep – she'd spent the whole night trying to sort through her thoughts after her encounter with Quiche in the café kitchen.

Waking up and going through the motions at school, Ichigo felt more than ever that the kiss meant nothing in regards to her relationship with Masaya. She was decidedly still very much in love with Masaya, and Quiche's kiss did little to change that. More concerning was the seemingly uncontrollable reaction she experienced under her skin and in the pit of her stomach when it happened. Ichigo couldn't help but feel immensely guilty for her reaction. Why did she feel that way about the kiss?

Leaving her last class, Ichigo resolved to put the night out of her mind until she found the right moment to speak to Masaya. The timing had to be perfect; Ichigo hoped the ball of nerves in her stomach wouldn't cause her to stumble over her words when the time came to tell Masaya what had occurred. She found herself struggling to suppress the voice in her head telling her that something was different – that the nerves in her stomach weren't just anxiety, but maybe a mix of something more. Her subconscious thoughts grew louder by the day. Ichigo found it exhausting to always feel like she was arguing with her own brain.

Not to mention the charity gala was only a day away – a welcome distraction, especially with Masaya as her date. Ichigo forced her mind to refocus on what she would wear to the gala – she hadn't even begun thinking about how she would find a dress in time. But the mere thought of the two of them dancing together at the event put Ichigo's mind at ease.

Her peace was short-lived – Ichigo was halfway to the café when she heard a scream up ahead, along a row of shops across from the city park. Ichigo immediately broke into a run, wide eyes searching for what the cause of the commotion was, but suspecting the worst.

Two classmates of Ichigo's rushed out of the alley between the shops. "Turn around! Run!" one of the boys yelled to Ichigo. "There's some kind of monster!" Ichigo clenched her jaw – it had to be a chimera.

"In the alley?" Ichigo yelled back at them as they passed her on the sidewalk.

"Yes! Run!" the boy yelled back, turning briefly to answer Ichigo.

Ichigo knew it couldn't be anything but a chimera – but she was alone, and too far from the café to find help. She could call someone, but she didn't want to waste precious seconds when the chimera could harm innocent bystanders. Determined to do her best on her own, Ichigo ran into the alley to see what was lurking there, drawing her pendant as she rounded the corner.

The first thing she saw when she looked down the alley was beady red eyes. The chimera shrieked at her – a high-pitched, dreadful cry that made the hair on the back of Ichigo's neck stand up. It appeared to be some kind of rat – it was the size of a human, and was covered in greasy, green-tinted fur. Ichigo recoiled, quickly kissing her pendant and transforming into Mew Ichigo. She felt the familiar warmth of her power encircling her body.

Opening her eyes after her transformation, Ichigo drew her strawberry bell and crouched, anticipating the chimera to pounce. It snarled at her, then dove towards her on all fours, coming out of the shadows.

The chimera was fast – Ichigo barely managed to jump away, even with her enhanced jumping abilities as a mew. She quickly sprang up from the sidewalk to a deck of an apartment to her left, then jumped to the roof of the apartment building. Gasping for a breath, she looked down below her and saw that the rat chimera was scrambling up the side of the building already.

Ichigo felt herself begin to panic. She raised her bell to fire a Strawberry Check, but the first sound hadn't even left her lips before the chimera's claws were already to the top of the building. Ichigo turned and sprinted to the end of the roof, leaping onto the roof of the adjacent condos. She forced herself to swallow her fear of heights.

Glancing back, the chimera was right on her tail – it was running on all fours, and it seemed to have the same jumping capability as she. Ichigo ran as hard as she could and cleared the gap from the condo rooftop to another, skidding to a stop on the roof of the next building over. She raised her bell to fire her attack.

"Ribbon Strawberry-"

She couldn't get to "Check" before the fast-advancing chimera smacked her strawberry bell out of her hands with its long, rubbery tail. Ichigo let out a shriek of surprise. She retreated quickly, scanning for where her weapon landed. A flash of pink was in her perimeter – it had skidded to the edge of the rooftop.

Sweating, Ichigo's eyes darted between the rat chimera, crouched and ready to pounce, and her weapon. She wasn't sure she could get to her strawberry bell in time. She would have to keep running around the rooftops to try to draw the chimera away, buying her enough time to grab her weapon again. It was eerily similar to the encounter with the mole chimera; Ichigo knew that she sometimes struggled in close, hand-to-hand combat, and running in circles was far from ideal.

Suddenly, the chimera took off in a sprint and pounced towards Ichigo. Ichigo dove to her side to avoid the bite of the chimera. She skidded on her side, then gasped as a flash of blue shimmered in the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw the chimera covered in blue bands of lightning. It dropped to the ground, stunned.

"So the mouse is chasing the cat?" came Quiche's voice from the air above them. Ichigo looked up as Quiche landed on the rooftop between her and the chimera, weapons drawn. He was back to wearing his battle uniform she was familiar with.

"Quiche!" Ichigo exclaimed in shock. "How did you know I was here? Where are the others?"

"I'll explain later," Quiche said hurriedly. The chimera was beginning to stir, emitting a low growl. "Get your strawberry bell and follow my lead."

Ichigo nodded and took off towards where her strawberry bell had landed. All of her emotions surrounding Quiche were temporarily forgotten, replaced now with pure adrenaline. With Quiche's help, she had renewed hope to finish off the chimera.

She snatched up her weapon and whipped around just in time to see Quiche with one of his tonfas in the chimera's jaw. He swung the other one around and slammed it into the chimera's ribcage. It had the intended effect of throwing the rat-like beast fully on its back – it wheezed and shrieked in pain as it fell.

Ichigo rushed over, readying her strawberry bell, but Quiche held out his arm to stop her. "Stay back; it's still got bite."

Sure enough, the chimera sprung up again, hissing and spitting at Quiche. Quiche stepped in front of Ichigo and raised one of his weapons. Crouching, Quiche suddenly teleported directly in front of the chimera, dealing a blow to its stomach and knocking it over the edge of the building.

"Follow me!" Quiche yelled back at Ichigo. He dove off the edge of the building after the chimera. Ichigo heard the sounds of screaming civilians from the street, just now seeing the chimera in broad daylight. She rushed to jump from the roof to an apartment railing, then down to the street, where Quiche was trying to draw the chimera away from the road.

There was a small crowd of onlookers standing at a distance now – a few of them coming closer to try to take videos with their phones.

"Please keep back!" Ichigo yelled at the onlookers. She circled wide around the chimera and Quiche. Quiche had almost drawn it to the park with quick jabs and small shocks of his blue lightning. Ichigo saw more people in the park taking out their phone to film.

"Everyone needs to leave! Now!" Ichigo yelled into the park, waving her hands at the onlookers. A good half dozen people heeded her request, backing up and running the other direction. Ichigo whipped her head around to look back at Quiche. "Why are we leading it to the park?" she yelled.

"Trust me!" Quiche yelled back, swinging at the chimera to taunt it. The chimera pounced towards him, now in the grassy part of the city park.

Quiche warped further away from the monster, then and dropped his weapons, slamming his palms down on the grass. He focused on the chimera with narrowed eyes, and suddenly, a tangled mess of roots erupted from the ground to surround the chimera's wriggling, greasy body. It shrieked in terror as it struggled to break free of the fibrous entrapment.

"Ichigo! Now!" Quiche yelled back at Ichigo. Ichigo rushed towards the chimera, holding up her strawberry bell.

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK!"

The chimera shrieked once more before dissolving in a beam of hazy, pinkish light, leaving behind a bloated rat and a tangled mess of roots and grass. Ichigo lowered her weapon, still breathing heavily. A small group of onlookers began to clap.

Ichigo turned back towards Quiche, who stood up and dusted off his hands nonchalantly. "I haven't used plant abilities in forever," Quiche remarked, grinning back at Ichigo. "It's usually Tart's speciality. Not too shabby for no practice, huh?"

"Wait, what happened to the others?" Ichigo asked, looking around the park curiously.

Quiche crossed his arms. "I was alone when I heard you, and I didn't want to waste any time so I just came myself."

"What do you mean?" asked Ichigo. She furrowed her brow. She hadn't called anyone – and she was still far from the café.

Quiche glanced around them, uncrossing his arms and walking over to Ichigo. "Let's talk somewhere a little more private, hm?" he said. He was eyeing the small crowd that had developed in the park, curious to see what was going on.

Quiche put out his hand to Ichigo. "Close your eyes and hold your breath," he instructed. Ichigo looked from his hand up to his wary gaze as he observed the onlookers around them. Hastily, trustingly, she put her hand in Quiche's.

Quiche quickly pulled Ichigo into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Before Ichigo could react, she felt an odd feeling like the first drop on a roller coaster. She remembered Quiche's instructions, then, and held her breath with her eyes closed. Her feet felt like they had left the ground, and her hair flew around her face like she was falling.

The next moment, she felt her feet touch ground again. Cracking one eye open, she observed that Quiche had teleported them to a secluded patch of trees deeper into the park. Sighing in relief, Ichigo suddenly remembered that she was still in Quiche's arms. The smell of cloves graced her nose once again, mingled with a musky sweat and a tinge of iron.

She ripped herself out of Quiche's grasp quickly, scowling up at him with a flushed face and angry pink eyes. All of a sudden, her sleepless night of confused thoughts came rushing back into her memory. "Th-this doesn't change anything, just so you know! I'm still mad at you!"

Quiche wore a smug grin as he slowly powered down to street clothes once again. "What, after I practically saved your life? You're so ungrateful, kitten."

Ichigo balled her hands into fists. She followed Quiche's lead and powered down into her normal appearance. She was about to reply with another angry jab before she remembered that Quiche hadn't told her how he'd known she was in trouble. "Wait, what was that all about with you 'hearing me' anyway?" she prodded.

Quiche hesitated for a moment, seemingly sorting through what to say. "I'll walk and tell you," he offered, jerking his head to the right. "The café is this way."

Ichigo fell in step with him as Quiche began to walk, hands in the pockets of his denim jacket. She suppressed all of the annoyance she felt with Quiche, wanting to have a clear head and open mind to what he had to say. "So do you remember when I showed up to battle the first chimera a week ago, the one on the train?" Quiche started.

Ichigo nodded, "Yes?"

"Well," Quiche continued, "How do you think Tart, Pie and I knew to come find you?"

Ichigo thought about it for a moment. It had never dawned on her that the three had shown up out of nowhere – she always thought that they had seen her on a news station or something. That whole day had been a blur.

Puzzled, she looked up at Quiche expectantly. "I...I don't know," she replied.

"Right. So, when Pie, Tart and I were walking around downtown, I heard a voice out of nowhere," Quiche continued. "Pie and Tart thought I was crazy, but I heard it clear as day and told them we had to follow it."

He paused for a beat. "It was your voice. I heard you calling my name, and the voice led us to the train."

Ichigo, perplexed, looked up at Quiche with wide eyes _. Her_ voice? How? Quiche was deep in thought, digging through his memory. "It gets weirder," he said. "It happened again a few days ago, when you and the fish girl, Midorikawa, were attacked by the mole chimera."

Suddenly, memories began to snap into place for Ichigo. She remembered how Pudding told her that Quiche had warned them something was wrong. She also remembered Quiche's hushed conversation with Pie that day – a conversation about a voice. The pieces began to fall into place.

"Wait, so that's how you found me just now?" Ichigo interjected. "You heard my voice again?"

Quiche looked down to her. "Yeah, except this time I was alone, working on a part for our ship. I came by myself because I didn't want to waste time." He paused, smirking. "And I'm glad I did, because you were in deep shit with that chimera."

"I was handling it!" Ichigo insisted, knowing it was a lie. Regardless of her annoyance with Quiche, she couldn't help but wonder about the ability to hear her voice. Remarkably, it wasn't the first time someone had told her that they heard her voice calling to them when she was in distress.

"The only other time I've ever heard of someone hearing my voice like that…is when Masaya became the Blue Knight," Ichigo mused, thinking aloud. She remembered conversations she had with Masaya after he divulged to her that he had been the Blue Knight all along. His description matched Quiche's to the T. "He always told me that he heard my voice calling his name before he transformed."

"Interesting," Quiche remarked, grinning. "It seems like I'm your new knight."

Ichigo glared up at Quiche. Her annoyance reignited like gasoline on a lit match, all of her frustration with the alien boy bubbling up to the surface. "If you think you're anything like Masaya, you're wrong," she spat, clenching her fists at her sides.

Quiche retained his smirk, glancing down at Ichigo. She saw a spark of something wild flash across his liquid gold eyes.

"You're right – I'm nothing like him," he replied coolly.

Something about the way he said it gave Ichigo chills. There was a deeper meaning in his words, she knew. Something about the differences between the two – and the events of the night before.

Ichigo sucked in a breath. She felt words beginning to tumble off of her tongue. "Listen, I hope you know –"

"Ichigo!"

A voice sounded from the path ahead. Ichigo's attention snapped to the bend in the walkway, where Pudding was bounding around the corner in her mew form. "Where's the chimera?" Pudding asked, leaping around Ichigo and Quiche. The rest of the mews, Pie, and Tart were right behind Pudding.

"What's going on?" Ichigo called to the group. A small part of her was thankful for the distraction from her conversation with Quiche.

"We saw an alert on Shirogane's radar that there was chimera activity back this way," Zakuro replied, stopping and crossing her arms. "Seems like you two have already handled it."

Just behind the group, Ryou and Masaya ran around the corner. Ichigo immediately locked eyes with her boyfriend. A look of relief passed over Masaya's expression. Then, in an instant, it soured as his eyes moved to Quiche, still standing side by side with Ichigo.

"It was a small, common chimera animal," Quiche announced to everyone, "Some kind of rat. I found Ichigo by myself because I didn't want to waste time by coming to find all of you first."

He paused, grinning and nonchalantly draping his arm over Ichigo's shoulders. "Turns out, Ichigo and I make quite the team."

Ichigo grimaced anxiously and ducked out of Quiche's arm. She felt heat blooming on her face and hoped no one would notice. Masaya was at her side in the next moment, posessively collecting Ichigo into his arms. Ichigo relished the warm, comforting feeling of her boyfriend's arms around her.

Masaya glared pointedly at Quiche.

"What do you mean 'waste time coming to find you'?" Masaya demanded in a raised tone. "How did you get to Ichigo first?"

Ichigo was rigid, tense in Masaya's hug. She could feel the tension in the air – a crackling, buzzing animosity hanging thick around them. The mews, Pie, Tart and Ryou were listening carefully, she knew. Quiche was seemingly unfazed. Ichigo watched Quiche's gaze leave Masaya's for a moment, locking eyes with her briefly before meeting Masaya again. His smug smile widened.

"Quiche, did it happen again? The voice?" Pie interjected, standing off to the side.

Looks of confusion passed over the faces of the mews. Quiche turned to Pie, "Yeah, this is the third time now."

"I'm sorry," Masaya interjected, voice raised, "Could someone explain? What is going on here?"

Quiche glanced between Pie to Masaya. "It seems..." Pie started hesitantly, choosing his words thoughtfully, "...that Quiche has developed the ability to hear when Momomiya is in distress. This is the third instance of Quiche hearing her voice when she is in danger."

Masaya tightened his grip on Ichigo, then released her. He looked down at her, confusion filling his gaze. Ichigo, eyes wide, opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say. Masaya's head snapped up to look back at Pie. "There's no way," he muttered, his voice low.

"The first time was when we first arrived – the train incident," Pie continued warily. "The second time was when Momomiya and Midorikawa encountered the chimera alone. This would be the third."

Masaya turned his attention back to staring daggers at Quiche. Quiche nonchalantly stretched his arms, placing his hands behind his head.

"Ichigo tells me that this isn't the first time someone has heard her voice when she's in trouble," Quiche prodded. There was something dangerous in his eyes, then, as he continued with a smirk, "Pity you don't have that power anymore, hm?"

The rest of the mews, Ryou, Pie and Tart instantly froze. The tension was thick enough to cut into. Ichigo, thinking fast, tore herself out of Masaya's grasp and stood between him and Quiche, holding Masaya's hands in hers. She fixed Masaya's gaze with her own, hoping to hold his attention long enough to calm the situation down and clear the air.

"Aoyama," Ichigo said softly, "It's okay, I'm safe now. You have nothing to worry about."

Masaya's eyes softened for a moment, searching Ichigo's calm expression for truth. Ichigo saw him clench his jaw as he squeezed her hands reassuringly. To her dismay, his hands left hers and Masaya began to walk towards Quiche. Quiche crossed his arms, straightening his back. Ichigo saw Tart and Ryou both widen their stance in her peripheral – evidently prepared to separate a fight.

"Listen carefully, because I'm not going to tell you this again," Masaya said quietly, an edge to his tone. He stopped less than a foot from Quiche. The two were nearly the same height, glaring into each other's expression. "Ichigo is mine. I don't care about whatever ability you have — don't even _think_ about laying a finger on her."

Masaya's voice was even-keeled; patient, yet resolute. Exactly what Ichigo would expect. She herself was a nervous wreck, the memory of the night before creeping up from her subconsciousness. Her kiss with Quiche replayed in her mind once again. A terrifying thought presented itself: Quiche could tell Masaya about what happened last night – here and now. Before she had the chance to talk to Masaya.

Inhaling sharply, Ichigo was lucky to make eye contact with Quiche in that moment. Quickly, subtly, she shook her head ever so slightly, pleading with Quiche's fiery expression. She hoped he knew what she was signaling. Quiche narrowed his eyes; Ichigo felt as though a moment of understanding passed between them. Quiche tore his eyes from Ichigo and refocused back to Masaya.

"Soon enough you'll understand that Ichigo is neither yours, nor mine, nor anyone's but her own," Quiche replied. His smirk was gone now, his words as sharp as razor blades. "You'll see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Quiche hearing someone (assumedly Ichigo) calling his name near the end of TMM Re-Turn chapter 1 was the thing that made me want to write this fic to begin with. It's a really interesting detail Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida added in, and it's easy to miss on your first read-through. But it IS canon, I swear! Go re-read Re-Turn if you don't believe me. :)
> 
> One kinda weird, sort of not canon thing I'm adding is how the aliens are able to change their outfits so quickly in Re-Turn - I'm not sure how to address it perfectly so I'm just assuming they can somehow change their apparel at will like the mews transforming. Please bear with me while I try to tease out how Re-Turn is different from the original manga, haha.
> 
> Please leave a kudos/comment if you can!


	8. The Gala, Part 1

The mascara wand came out of the tube with a satisfying pop. Ichigo leaned towards the small desk mirror and began to brush her lashes with the makeup borrowed from Mint.

"Is it supposed to clump together like this?" Ichigo muttered. "I haven't worn this kind of mascara in ages."

Mint sighed from behind her, finishing another curl in Lettuce's hair. She set down the curling iron and peered over at Ichigo.

"It's fine, Ichigo," Mint sighed exasperatedly. "Stop being so dramatic." She returned to the curling iron and resumed tending to Lettuce's long, light green locks. Ichigo frowned, blinking as she resisted the urge to pick at her clumpy lashes.

It was the night of the charity gala, and the girls were all getting ready together in one of the spare upper rooms of the café. With Mint and Berry at the ready with an arsenal of makeup and hair tools, the girls had spent the last couple hours playing pop music and getting ready together. The only one not getting ready with them was Zakuro, who had pulled some strings with one of her industry contacts to supply dresses and shoes for all 6 girls. Zakuro was arriving with their outfits later.

Ichigo gently tapped a wide, fluffy makeup brush into a compact of warm blush. She swept the brush across the tops of her cheekbones. Applying makeup was soothing to her – a respite from the swirling whirlpool of conflict in her thoughts.

It was just yesterday that Masaya and Quiche had gotten into a public argument with each other over Quiche's newfound ability to hear when she was in distress. An ability that used to belong to Masaya as the Blue Knight was now appearing in Quiche. _Why?_ Ichigo could only hypothesize that it had to do with the fact that Masaya's power as the Blue Knight had waned. But why would the power move to Quiche instead? Ichigo had no idea, and it had stumped Ryou, Pie and Keiichiro too. The three brains of the group had added the mystery to the ever-growing pile of topics to research when it came to the shifting, changing power of the mews over the past week.

Masaya had cooled off after his stark warning to Quiche, and he and Ichigo had spent the rest of the evening decompressing and enjoying each other's company. But Ichigo knew that Masaya's mood was slightly off; he was evidently still disturbed by Quiche's adoption of his old skill.

Ichigo's worry over Masaya's mood was only compounded by her concern that her and Quiche now shared a secret. Ichigo hadn't told Masaya about the kiss – and now, she wasn't sure if she should. When taking into consideration Masaya's strong reaction to Quiche's flirting, Ichigo was certain that Masaya would blow a fuse if he knew that Quiche had kissed her.

Picking up an eyeshadow palette, Ichigo dabbed a small, thin brush into a light brown color and began sweeping it into the crease of one eyelid. She sighed, getting lost in her thoughts again. _Why am I protecting Quiche? So what if Masaya gets mad?_

One part of her was worried that Masaya would break up with her if she told him about the kiss. But another part of her knew that Masaya was very much in love with her – wouldn't he understand if Ichigo explained that Quiche had kissed _her_? That she had nothing to do with the kiss? That she wanted nothing to do with Quiche?

Something stirred in her stomach as she turned the thought over in her mind. A small voice in the forefront of her consciousness whispered to her: _You know that's not true._

Ichigo quickly shook the thought out her head, slamming the eyeshadow palette shut with a forceful slap. She resolved to forget about the swirling mess of confusion, guilt and conflict in her head, focusing instead on the night ahead. She would know the right moment to tell Masaya about the kiss. But for now, enjoying her night at the gala felt most important.

A knock sounded at the door over the loud music. Pudding bounded over to the door, swinging it open. Zakuro stepped in with an armful of dresses in garment bags.

"Hey, help me out with the shoes, will you?" Zakuro said to Pudding, sweeping past her to sling the dresses over the back of a chair.

"You got it, big sis!" Pudding gleefully began stacking the shoe boxes just outside the door to carry in.

Berry, who had been occupied with styling Pudding's hair, bounded over to peer at the dresses on the chair. "Zakuro, thank you so much! I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. She peeked into the garment bag of the dress on the top.

"Now, to set some ground rules," Zakuro announced to the group, "These dresses are very expensive and they are not to keep. They are to be returned at the end of the night in _pristine_ condition, or my agent will have my head. Is that clear?"

A chorus of "yes"s and "yep"s sounded among the girls. Zakuro nodded.

"Ok, great," she continued, "Now, these dresses are carefully selected and matched to each of your features and height. No swapping, no changing – they are picked out specifically for you. You'll find your dress has your name on the tag at the top."

Everyone's face lit up in excitement to see their dress. Zakuro picked up the dresses and headed to the bathroom attached to the spare room. "I'm going to hang these all in the bathroom," she announced. "We'll take turns changing. I'll go first since I need time to do my hair and makeup."

And with that, the mystery dresses were behind a closed bathroom door. The girls' moods were lifted to a giddy excitement. Ichigo finished the last of her makeup as Zakuro waltzed out of the bathroom in a silver gown with a wraparound waist and a slit up the left leg. She was the very picture of elegance.

The girls ooo'ed and ahh'ed at her elegant outfit. "Zakuro, you look stunning," Mint sighed. Zakuro allowed a small smile to cross her lips at the compliment from her girlfriend.

"Ok, who's next?" Zakuro asked the group.

"Me me me!" Pudding exclaimed, bounding into the bathroom before anyone could argue. She giggled and slammed the door. The rest of the girls sighed in exasperation, impatient to see their dresses.

Not two minutes later, Pudding threw open the bathroom door dramatically. "Tada!" she exclaimed, stepping out into the room and twirling. Her glittering red dress had long, stretchy sleeves, a wide boat neckline and a circle skirt. It suited her perfectly. "I feel like a salsa dancer!"

Ichigo laughed, "It looks great Pudding!" The other girls nodded in agreement.

Mint changed next, then Lettuce, then Berry. Finally, Ichigo was last to change, wanting to have time to do her hair in loose curls before donning her dress. The rest of the girls were nearly ready to go. The group was already a little late to the party. The voices of chattering guests echoed through the floor of the small spare room.

Ichigo stepped into the small half-bathroom and closed the door behind her. She reached for the last remaining dress hanging on the shower curtain. She pulled the thin, plastic garment bag off the hanger and immediately sucked in a breath. Her fists clenched around the crinkling plastic of the garment bag as she scanned over the dress with anxious eyes.

_Oh no._

When she opened the door to the bathroom wearing the dress, Ichigo saw the same surprise reflected in the faces of the mews. Lettuce cringed, then hid it quickly with a grin. Berry lifted a perfectly pruned eyebrow in surprise. Ichigo smiled anxiously.

The satin dress was the perfect shade of deep, rich emerald green. It was a full-length gown, with thin straps and a cowl neck that draped elegantly across Ichigo's chest. The dress was also backless – Ichigo did a slow turn for her audience, who all gasped when they saw the low, low back.

"Ichigo it's gorgeous!" Lettuce exclaimed, collecting herself and smiling reassuringly. "Very elegant."

"It's not at all my style," Ichigo admitted, her eyes flicking from Zakuro back to Lettuce. "I … I don't know if I should wear it."

It was only partially true. Ichigo was trying to avoid addressing the elephant in the room regarding the color of the dress, though she knew all of the mews were thinking the same thing as she. Their initial reactions had given them away. She knew that their worry – and hers – rested in the unmistakable, familiar color that reminded Ichigo of someone she very much wanted to forget. A situation the mews had been tip-toeing around since the confrontation just yesterday. Ichigo clenched her jaw. _Why does it have to be green?_

"Well of course you're wearing it!" Mint exclaimed, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. She folded her arms across her beaded black sheath dress. "You look great, and we REALLY need to get down to this party! We're already late!"

"Mint is right," Zakuro added. "The dress looks nice. You don't have much of an option to find another one at this point."

Ichigo sighed, looking down at the shimmery cascade of dark emerald green. The dress was truly the most beautiful gown she'd ever worn. It was probably worth more than a whole month's pay at the café. And it fit her like a glove. She would be amiss to discard it just because of its color.

"Ok, I'm ready then," Ichigo said finally, looking up at her friends and smiling warily. "Let's get going!"

The girls finished accessorizing and headed down the stairs to the lower part of the café. The dining area had been converted to an open space for mingling and dancing. Most of the chairs and tables had been moved and stored elsewhere. Streamers, balloons and other decor were scattered about, giving the already colorful space an extra celebratory air. Most of the decorations were courtesy of Pudding's acrobatics. She pointed out her favorite touches to the mews as they descended the stairs together.

The café was already nearly full with people of all ages, with everyone dressed to the nines. Ichigo scanned the crowd for Masaya. She found him quickly – he stood near the base of the stairs. She descended further down the staircase carefully, slowly, taking care not to trip over her long gown.

Masaya caught her gaze as Ichigo drew closer. He smiled up at her warmly, lovingly. Butterflies erupted in Ichigo's stomach when she saw his handsome dark grey suit.

"Aoyama," Ichigo greeted, a smile spreading across her flushed face.

Masaya took Ichigo's hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles. Ichigo's blush deepened as Masaya smiled back.

"You look stunning," he said softly, observing her dress. Ichigo tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling warm and light as she melted into his rich brown eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured, bashful. She looked up and scanned the room. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long," Masaya reassured her. He drew circles on her hands with his thumbs absent-mindedly. "Are you hungry? Would you want to stop by the food table and get a slice of something?"

Ichigo didn't realize until that moment that she was famished. She hadn't eaten since breakfast at her house that morning. She perked up, nodding quickly and grinning, "Yeah, let's go!"

The couple weaved their way through the guests, towards the kitchen area of the café. A table was set with white linens and all types of cakes and pastries. Ichigo picked up a small plate with a mini strawberry shortcake and a small, gold spoon. Masaya, seeing her selection, did the same.

They made their way to a part of the wall of the café where there were less people. Ichigo quickly scooped out a bite of the shortcake, grinning when she realized that Masaya had picked the same dessert.

"I didn't know you were a fan of shortcake," Ichigo remarked, smiling.

Masaya finished a bite, then said, "Mmm, not particularly, but I'm a big fan of strawberries."

Ichigo giggled. She felt as though she was floating on a cloud – above the stress, the worry – above it all. When Masaya smiled at her, Ichigo felt like nothing could be more right in the world than the two of them there, together. The worries of the evening floated out of her mind like a puff of smoke as she continued to chit-chat with Masaya about the décor adorning the crowded café.

Her bliss was soon interrupted by a flash of red. Pudding bounded over to them, dragging an annoyed-looking Tart by his hand. "Hey big sis!" Pudding greeted Ichigo excitedly. Turning to Masaya, she said, "Oh, hi Aoyama! You look nice!"

"Thanks, Fong," Masaya replied with a smile.

Pudding turned back to Ichigo. "Anyway, are you done with your plate yet? Because if you are, Tart can take it from you!"

Ichigo laughed, "Wait, what?" She glanced at Tart. She realized that he was in his café uniform, vest and all. His particular brand of annoyance was punctuated on his face by a flush over his cheeks. His hand grasped Pudding's tightly, and Ichigo wondered to herself who was holding who's hand.

Tart rolled his eyes. "Shirogane stuck Quiche, Pie and I on waiter duty for tonight," he grumbled. Pudding grinned, throwing her arm around Tart's shoulder. Ichigo watched Tart's face turn a distinct shade of beet red as he stiffened.

"Isn't that so nice?" Pudding exclaimed. Ichigo grinned, raising her eyebrows sceptically.

"Sure is!" she agreed hastily, glancing up at Masaya's equally perplexed grin.

Pudding nodded, satisfied. "Ok well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it!" she declared. With that, she turned and dragged Tart with her, clutching onto his hand with an iron grip.

Ichigo turned to Masaya with a short laugh. "Why Pudding drags Tart around like that, I'll never know," she mused. She picked at the last strawberry on her plate. "He looks pretty embarrassed."

Masaya shrugged, eating his last bite of shortcake. He dropped the small spoon on the plate with a plink. "He seems to be in a bad mood all the time, though," he remarked. Ichigo giggled. Masaya looked down at her, smiling.

"Want to trade these plates for some sparkling cider?" he suggested.

"Yeah!" Ichigo chirped. The two wandered back over to the table with the drinks and desserts. They picked up a couple champagne flutes of raspberry sparkling cider, and began to mix and mingle with the guests.

Ichigo learned quickly that Masaya was popular in the local nonprofit social circle. He spent the next hour or so introducing Ichigo to acquaintances of his from previous projects. Ichigo admired Masaya's ease in speaking with the various guests, some of which were board members for sizable nonprofits that Ichigo had always looked up to. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous when speaking with some of the more intimidating guests, but Masaya's calm presence put her at ease.

Ichigo found her mind wandering during one particular conversation Masaya had struck with the board of directors for a mid-size wildlife sanctuary in a suburb of Tokyo. While Masaya spoke of funding rounds, investors and the possibility of educational grants, Ichigo felt herself being carried down a spiral of melancholy introspection. The longer Ichigo spent apart from Masaya, the more she felt the cavern between them widening in respect to their careers. Masaya spoke with ease about topics Ichigo felt stupid even remarking on. Was she really that dumb for a 17-year-old? Or was Masaya really that much of a prodigy? Ichigo elected to focus on the feeling of Masaya's hand on her back. She settled into the easy social contract of staying silent and smiling while Masaya did the talking. _This is easy,_ she told herself. _This is nice._

It was about an hour and a half into the gala when a circle opened up in the center of the café and guests began to dance. The music rotated between easygoing, jazzy swing tunes and something of a modern waltz. Masaya shed his suit jacket; Ichigo watched him go to place it in the coat closet. The café was quite hot, even with all of the windows open.

Masaya insisted on dancing with Ichigo – though she warned him persistently of her two left feet. He was patient, though, and Ichigo was more relaxed by her third dance with him. They weren't doing much outside of a simple side-to-side step, but it was perfect for Ichigo's skill level. She settled comfortably into Masaya's arms, repeating the same step along with Masaya's gentle movements. His warm hands were soft and reassuring.

They finished dancing their third song. Ichigo sighed as a slower song began to play. Masaya took her hand and placed his hand at her waist, guiding Ichigo in a simple waltz step. Unsure of herself, Ichigo accidentally stepped on Masaya's foot.

"Oh no!" she squeaked, meeting Masaya's gaze, "I'm sorry! I'm so bad at this!"

Masaya laughed, smiling at Ichigo warmly. His chestnut gaze held nothing but love and forgiveness. "Don't worry! Just relax."

Ichigo smiled up at him, letting out a breath of relief. Her lack of dancing skills wasn't the first time that day when she felt in the shadow of her boyfriend's talent, but she was determined not to let it dampen her mood. Ichigo settled into an easy step with Masaya again. She was determined to follow Masaya's instructions to relax. A few moments later, Masaya stepped back from Ichigo and playfully twirled her into a wide circle.

She caught a flash of gold eyes fixated on her as she spun back around.

Ichigo stiffened subconsciously, inhaling sharply as she continued to step along with Masaya. She realized in that moment that she hadn't seen Quiche all day. But then, she remembered Tart telling her that Ryou had put the three boys on waiter duty for the event. Ichigo reassured herself that Quiche wouldn't bother her and Masaya while he was on the clock. Shaking the thought out of her mind, Ichigo smiled up at Masaya again.

"You're so patient," she murmured appreciatively, gazing into his deep, chocolate eyes.

"It's really nothing," Masaya insisted, smiling, "Anything to dance with a beautiful girl."

Ichigo blushed, opening her mouth to reply, but was distracted by something in her peripheral. She spotted Quiche walking towards her and Masaya, carrying a glass of something in one hand. Panic began to rise in her throat. Her eyes darted back to Masaya. "I'm –" she stammered, "I'm just a really bad dancer is all –"

Ichigo's eyes rapidly flicked back and forth between Masaya and Quiche as he came to stand behind Masaya. Ichigo hardly had time to react, or to say something to Masaya to warn him. In the next instant, Masaya recoiled towards Ichigo as a glass fell on the floor and shattered.

Masaya whirled around to face Quiche. Ichigo saw that the back of his white shirt was soaked in red wine.

Guests standing around them saw the mess on the floor and moved away quickly. Quiche stood with his hands on his hips, smirking at Masaya with dark eyes. "Whoops," Quiche said bluntly, his voice absent of remorse.

Masaya looked positively livid. Ichigo opened and closed her mouth, her eyes darting between the two. Masaya clenched and unclenched his fists. "Quiche," he started slowly, in a low voice, "I will deal with you later." Masaya turned back to Ichigo, holding her lightly by the back of her arms.

"I'll be right back," he reassured her with a forced smile. His smile fell quickly as he disappeared to the restrooms.

Ichigo watched Masaya go, then whirled around to glare at a smug-looking Quiche, eyes aflame. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. Quiche offered no answer, simply observing her reaction with amusement. Ichigo huffed in frustration, clenching her fists. She spotted Tart and Pudding watching their confrontation out of the corner of one eye, and knew that the mess on the floor would be taken care of. "Outside. Now," she demanded to Quiche, turning and stalking towards the back door.

Ichigo threw open the heavy metal door and took a few steps out to the grassy surroundings of the café. Whirling around and crossing her arms, she fixed an angry look at Quiche, who shut the door behind them.

"What. Is. Your. Problem?!" Ichigo yelled. "You've embarrassed me! You embarrassed Aoyama! And you've practically ruined my whole night!"

Quiche crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo felt his eyes boring into her as he considered his response. He cocked his head to one side and clicked his tongue. "If you were expecting me to apologize for dumping red wine on your date," he said cooly, "you're going to be disappointed."

Ichigo clenched her fists. "Listen!" she yelled, words haphazardly tumbling off of her tongue, "I don't want you interfering with Aoyama and I! At all! I don't know what's gotten in your stupid head that you think it's ok to pull some kind of stunt like that, but I can tell you RIGHT NOW that I'm not going to stand for it!"

Quiche looked on in amusement. "Which is more stupid," he challenged, "' _Accidentally'_ spilling some wine for a chance to get you alone, or going the whole night not speaking to you, when you look the way you do right now?"

Ichigo faltered, caught off guard by the rhetorical question. Quiche waited patiently for a response – his smirk slowly faded as he watched Ichigo's reaction carefully. Ichigo felt her face getting hot, her mind a whirling mess of anger and something else she couldn't quite place.

Flustered, she took a deep breath and marched around Quiche, wordlessly heading back towards the café.

"Wait," Quiche called from behind her. Ichigo turned, one hand on the handle of the back door. She looked back at Quiche with contempt.

"Dance one song with me," Quiche offered, "and I'll leave you and Aoyama alone."

Ichigo saw something she recognized in his expression at that moment. It was something akin to fear. She recognized it from how he looked moments after their kiss a few days ago. Fear, anxiousness, nervousness – Ichigo was surprised to see vulnerability in his usually confident features. Her instinct was to immediately reject Quiche's offer. But a curiosity lingering in her intuition gave her pause.

"Leave us alone _for the night_?" Ichigo replied, "Or for longer?"

Quiche regarded her for a moment. "For as long as you want," he said. He cocked his head to one side.

His answer invited a question: _How long did she want him to leave her alone?_ Ichigo shook the question out of her mind quickly, lest her subconscious thoughts present an answer she didn't like.

His offer was tempting – Ichigo needed Quiche out of her hair – and Masaya was unlikely to come back from the restrooms anytime soon, judging by the state of his dress shirt just moments before. The small twinge of curiosity churned through Ichigo as she narrowed her eyes. _Does Quiche even know how to dance?_

"Fine," she agreed. She pointedly chose to avoid naming her terms in an answer to Quiche's remark. "One song."

Quiche's signature smirk grew on his face, fiery excitement dancing in his liquid gold eyes. Ichigo immediately sensed danger in his renewed excitement. "Glad we could reach a compromise, kitten."

Ichigo rolled her eyes, turning and throwing open the back door of the bustling cafe. "Don't push your luck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the recent kudos! Please leave a comment if you're loving the story so far. So excited to share the next chapter with you all.


	9. The Gala, Part 2

The café-turned-ballroom was alive with energy. Guests were laughing, chatting and dancing in the brightly-lit circular room. Ichigo scanned the crowd looking for Masaya. He was nowhere in sight, to her relief. She still didn't know what she would say if Masaya saw her dancing with Quiche, but she doubted he would take less than ten minutes to clean the red wine from the back of his shirt. She knew she had time on her side.

The waltz had just finished, another song just starting up. It was a slightly quicker song, something akin to a slower swing tune.

Ichigo shivered as she felt Quiche's hand rest on the bare skin of her back. They strode into the bright lights of the circular dining area of the café. Ichigo focused on the rhythm of the song just starting up and the sounds of the guests around her, trying to keep herself calm under Quiche's touch. It was easy to distract herself with the buzz of activity swirling around her as she allowed Quiche to guide her to the center of the room. She felt several guests' eyes on them, watching curiously.

Something told Ichigo she would regret agreeing to this dance.

Quiche slipped his hand from Ichigo's back and came around to face her with a look of amusement. He took her hands in his, and she felt herself stiffen.

"Relax, kitten," Quiche purred, observing Ichigo's tense stance. "I won't bite."

Ichigo scowled up at Quiche and let out a long breath through her nose. "Just follow my lead," Quiche added, glancing down at their feet. He moved her hand towards her, and stepped forward in the same motion. Ichigo found herself stepping back naturally with his firm guidance. He continued to guide her in three more steps, pulling her towards him for a step forward, then quickly left and right. Ichigo vaguely recognized the pattern of steps as a swing step, and found herself following along with notably less effort than her attempt at a waltz not long ago.

She looked up at him, perplexed. "Where did you learn how to dance?" she asked, genuinely curious. Despite being an immature, classless pest, Quiche was not half bad at dancing.

Quiche's hand moved to her back and pushed her to spin outward; she did so with ease, and his arm guided her back with more confidence and force than Masaya's gentle touch. It was the confidence in pushing and pulling, back and forth, that made it so easy for Ichigo to follow along with his steps.

"I've had to learn fast since Pie, Tart and I returned home," Quiche said finally, a vague look of distaste passing over his expression. "We get invited to too many stupid fancy parties now that we've moved up the political ladder."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo questioned, furrowing her brow. She remembered how Lettuce told her that the alien boys had been given some sort of position in their government, but Ichigo was curious to know more. Quiche stepped around Ichigo and twirled her out, then back in again with another firm push and pull. She felt elegant as she reveled in the feeling of the silky dress whirling around her legs when she spun.

"Restoring your planet's ecosystem and restarting a world economy comes with some ... perks," Quiche quipped as his hands returned to Ichigo's. "When we got back home, all three of us were given a title kind of like what you would call … a duke? At least, with how it works in our society, that's what it's called here on Earth. Though we call it a 'prince' in our government."

Ichigo, startled, lost her focus for a moment and had to correct her footing. She bewilderedly found herself fixated on the thought of the 3-part idiot circus being called "princes". They were all so young, and Quiche and Tart were far from mature. Ichigo could hardly trust them to remember how to work their cash register in the café kitchen – how were they expected to help run an entire government?

"Wait, really?" Ichigo sputtered finally. "I mean, Lettuce told me before that you, Tart and Pie work for your government but I don't know much else. What do you do? What is that like?" Ichigo's annoyance with Quiche was temporarily forgotten, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"It's boring, mostly," Quiche replied nonchalantly. He twirled Ichigo outwards again before continuing. "A lot of the job of the princes – there are twelve of us – is making decisions about laws. Pie, Tart and I were all part of our military growing up. So it was kinda natural for us."

"Right," Ichigo mused, drinking in all of the new information. It was still hard for her to visualize the three alien boys in a position of political power, especially Quiche and Tart. It made sense that all three of them had been in the military – how else would they have been sent to Earth? – but she could scarcely imagine the young boys having any sort of power to make decisions about laws. A curious question bubbled to the surface of Ichigo's mind. "Wait, how old are you?" Ichigo asked suddenly, snapping her gaze back up to Quiche. It was trivial, but she was genuinely curious to know, especially with this new information.

Quiche appeared amused at the question, his eyes traveling up and to the right as he searched his memory. "Well, our years are different from yours, since our planet is further from our sun. But if my math is right, I'm somewhere around 19 in your years." He paused briefly. "And since I know you'll ask – Tart is around 15. Pie is about 21."

Ichigo wasn't sure what to do with this information, other than being a bit surprised. Quiche was two years her elder, and a year older than Masaya. She had expected him to be her same age, considering his usual level of immaturity. Her mind swirled with questions as she felt Quiche move to spin her out and to the left, then bring her back to his grasp.

"Wait, so isn't that … really young to have that kind of political power?" Ichigo prodded.

Quiche smirked. "So many questions, kitten," he teased. Ichigo looked bashful at her sudden curiosity, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she waited for Quiche's answer. If she was going to comply with his request for a dance, then she wanted to glean as much information out of Quiche as possible.

"Tart's age is unusual," Quiche replied finally, "but Pie and I are about at the right age for a younger prince. Our people have a lower life expectancy than the humans here." He paused for a moment, considering what to say next. The smug visage normally present on his face was replaced by a thoughtful, distant calm. "Who knows if that will change now that our climate is more forgiving – we're all hoping so."

Ichigo regarded his response thoughtfully. It was incredibly rare for them to be speaking about something so serious, without Quiche's constant flirting. It was concurrently refreshing and startling. But Ichigo felt like she couldn't pass up the opportunity to get information from Quiche while he was in such a startlingly cooperative mood. Stringing all of the new information together, she felt like she was finally connecting the dots between Quiche's past and what life was like back on his home planet.

"Wait, so why did you want to stay here on Earth, then?" came Ichigo's next question. "With everything you have to do back home, why didn't you three just go back after giving us the Mew Aqua?"

Quiche was growing slower at answering Ichigo's rapid-fire questions. He pondered his answer for half a minute before replying carefully. "Interesting you ask. We weren't expecting to encounter a chimera as soon as we came back to Earth," he said. "All three of us agreed it was best to stay and figure out what was going on, obviously, with the café work as a cover. And it's a good thing we did, since you girls can't seem to stay out of trouble with the chimeras."

Ichigo scowled and let out a huff as Quiche regarded her with amusement. She did not take well to his insinuation that she or her team were incompetent. But she couldn't deny that the aliens' help had been welcome over the past week. Ichigo was readying a comeback, but stopped herself as she watched Quiche glance over his shoulder briefly. He turned back to her and grinned. "I'll tell you a secret, though," he said. Ichigo raised her eyebrows in suspicious curiosity.

"Wait, what?" she prodded.

Quiche began to guide Ichigo to rotate in another direction as they continued in the easy swing steps. "We didn't come back to Earth _just_ to return the Mew Aqua ..." Quiche divulged, his voice lower, quieter. His eyes quickly darted to his right. "Look to your left, and you'll see the other reason we're here."

Ichigo broke eye contact with Quiche and peered over to her left, searching the whirling masses of people dancing and moving about the circular room. She spotted a flash of sparkling blue, and then she was smiling.

Just a few couples away, Pie was guiding Lettuce in a dance. Lettuce looked over the moon – smiling and laughing as she and Pie danced with an easy grace. They were the very picture of elegance. Lettuce's shimmering, blue mermaid-style gown fit her like it was made for her. Her long, minty green locks fell in a cascading waterfall of silky curls down her back. Pie was smiling – a real, rare smile – for the first time Ichigo had seen in quite a while.

Ichigo grinned. "I think that's the happiest I've seen Pie –"

"– in forever, I know," Quiche finished. Ichigo laughed, looking up at Quiche with a genuine smile.

"I'm glad he's so happy," Ichigo said, glancing at the happy couple again. "Lettuce likes him a lot, but I think she's unsure about how he feels."

Quiche let out a "hmm" in amusement before spinning Ichigo again. When he brought her back, he pulled her body closer – barely an inch separated them now. Ichigo sucked in a breath, biting her lip. Quiche locked eyes with her as they continued to dance in this close proximity.

"Some of us are a little more subtle than others," he remarked, raising one eyebrow.

Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek anxiously. What had Quiche meant by pointing out Pie and Lettuce dancing together? Did he mean that Lettuce was the other reason they had come back to Earth? He seemed to imply that Pie had personal reasons for returning. That he had come back to see Lettuce. But that made Quiche's remark – _some of us are a little more subtle than others_ – even more concerning in Ichigo's mind.

As if to answer her question, Quiche's hand moved to the bare skin of her lower back, and Ichigo found her free hand falling to his shoulder instinctually. She felt the familiar electric buzz of Quiche's touch run up her spine as he caressed her back. Their dance suddenly felt a lot more intimate, closer and affectionate in nature. This was dangerous, Ichigo knew. He was getting too close.

"Some of us also have enough class," Ichigo finally retorted with a scowl, "to not dump wine on people we don't like. I'm still mad at you, you know."

Quiche let out a snort of amusement. "Pretty sure we already addressed that, kitten," he muttered. "A small price to pay for this."

He moved the tips of his fingers up and down Ichigo's spine, gently feeling the bumps under her bare skin with his fingernails. Something in the bottom of her stomach stirred – her chest felt light, her head fuzzy. Alarm bells went off in the back of her mind: _too close, too dangerous_. She grasped at the feelings of anger and annoyance with Quiche, and held them like a shield in her thoughts.

"You know," Quiche said, tilting his head to one side as he danced, "that color really suits you."

Ichigo had nearly forgotten about the color of her dress. Quickly, defensively, she said, "It wasn't my choice! Zakuro had some of her stylists pick outfits for all of us girls, and they gave me this dress!"

"So you _did_ think of me when you saw it," Quiche pointed out with a smirk.

Ichigo instantly regretted being so defensive about the dress matching Quiche's dark, forest-green hair. She huffed in annoyance, clenching her jaw.

"Fine, yes," Ichigo said stubbornly. "I didn't have a choice, though. It's not even my style."

"No, it's perfect," said Quiche quickly, taking in Ichigo's appearance as he stepped back from her in a wide step. Ichigo opened her mouth to argue, but quickly closed it, feeling her face heat up again. _Focus_ , _Ichigo_ , she told herself, _Change the subject. Say something._

To Ichigo's relief, the song they were dancing to came to an end. She glanced behind her, then slowly stepped back from Quiche. His hands traced down her arms and came to rest in her palms as he gripped her hands in his own.

Ichigo looked from Quiche's hands back up to his eyes. His fiery gold gaze searched her, looking for her next move with curiosity. Ichigo felt strangely drunk with his touch; she found it hard to pull her hands away from him.

"I…" Ichigo started slowly, "...I have to go."

"I know," Quiche replied simply.

Ichigo sucked in a breath as Quiche brought one of her hands to his lips. He brushed her knuckles with a kiss. "Thanks for the dance," he murmured with a smirk, his warm breath tickling the hair on her wrist.

Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek, trying to calm herself lest her cat features suddenly appear. The moment reminded her too much of the first time she met Quiche; she was almost certain he had meant it that way. A distant memory flashed before Ichigo's eyes, a recollection of butterflies in her stomach and Quiche's bright, curious eyes: " _Thanks for the kiss."_

Everything had changed so much since those early days when Ichigo was still discovering what it meant to be a mew. They were different people now, her and Quiche. But something familiar passed between them in that moment, like a fleeting moment of playful nostalgia. A remembrance of a distant time. Ichigo found herself frozen in place, wordless for a few moments more. Then, suddenly, she tore herself from Quiche's hands and held her breath as she turned away, avoiding looking him in the eye.

She was running away again. It was like how she responded to his kiss in the café kitchen. An anomaly in how she would normally respond to Quiche's flirting – no yelling or fighting. Ichigo didn't have time to think about her change in behavior around Quiche. She willed herself to act natural as she walked away.

She strode over to the opposite wall of the café, where she spotted Mint and Zakuro having a drink and chatting. Ichigo's mind was whirring, digesting everything Quiche told her in their short dance and feeling a buzz on the skin of her hand. She swore she could feel her makeup melting off her face.

Ichigo still had so much she didn't know about Quiche, but she felt like she was beginning to understand him more deeply after hearing about his life back home. He had implied that Pie wanted the three of them to stay not just because of their worry around the chimera animals, but also because of Pie's fondness for Lettuce. Ichigo resolved not to tell Lettuce about this personal detail — it would be better for her to hear it from Pie. More concerning was that Quiche had implied he was harboring some level of affection for Ichigo. She was unsurprised that Quiche still felt something for her, but now she began to wonder exactly how deep that affection was.

Walking up to Mint and Zakuro, Ichigo hoped her appearance didn't seem too frazzled. She should have known better – Mint immediately put one hand on her hip as she hissed Ichigo's name.

"Ichigo! What the heck was that?" Mint demanded.

Ichigo laughed nervously, crossing her arms. "Wh-what?" she stammered.

Mint rolled her eyes. "We saw everything! The red wine, your dance..!"

Ichigo grimaced, shifting her weight anxiously under Mint's judgmental stare.

"Listen Ichigo," Mint continued, leaning in to speak quietly, "if what I _think_ is going on is, in fact, going on … you are in deep, _deep_ trouble."

Ichigo stiffened, laughing nervously. "I–I promise it's not what you think!" she insisted, swishing her wrist dismissively.

"So," Mint challenged, "Quiche did _not_ just dump wine on your boyfriend so that he could buy time to have an _extremely intimate_ dance with you? And you _agreed to it_?"

Ichigo felt her face growing hot again as she became more flustered. Mint was spot on. She began to worry that Mint and Zakuro were not the only ones who had pieced together what had just happened. "I– what– it was NOT intimate!" Ichigo squeaked, stammering.

"Are you so sure of that?" Zakuro chimed in, raising one eyebrow. "The casual observer might say otherwise. Let's call a spade a spade." She took a sip of champagne as Ichigo's panicked expression darted back and forth between her and Mint.

"Have you seen Aoyama?" Ichigo prodded, glancing around nervously.

"He didn't see you two, if that's what you're worried about," Mint replied coolly. "Haven't seen him come out of the men's bathroom yet. Good thing, too – he'd throw a fit if he saw how Quiche was dancing with you just now."

Ichigo grit her teeth, taking deep breaths and scanning the room again. "Was it that bad?" she hissed to Mint.

"I mean, Quiche has been looking at you like you're something to eat," Mint remarked. She took a sip of her drink. "He's not a bad dancer, either, at least by most people's standards. It'd be cute … if he didn't just humiliate your boyfriend in front of you a few minutes ago."

Zakuro wordlessly nodded in agreement with Mint. Mint smirked, a spark in her eye as she observed Ichigo's reaction carefully. She looked like she had just unearthed the juiciest piece of gossip in a century.

Ichigo rubbed the sides of her face, sighing loudly. "I know…" she groaned in exasperation. She wondered to herself how many of her friends had noticed her dance with Quiche. She cringed at the thought of having to explain the situation to all of the mews.

Just then, Ichigo spotted Masaya rounding the corner from the back hallway. He had his grey suit jacket back on again as he fixed the cuffs of his sleeves. Ichigo inhaled deeply and plastered a smile on her face, willing herself to focus her attention on her boyfriend, and put the earlier events of the night out of her mind – at least temporarily.

Masaya spotted Ichigo quickly, and smiled as he came to stand next to her. "Hey, sorry about that," he said, kissing Ichigo on the head. He wrapped an arm around her waist. Ichigo beamed up at Masaya, pointedly ignoring the suspicious glare coming from Mint.

"Don't worry!" Ichigo chirped, putting on a grin to mask her nerves. "I don't think Quiche is around anymore, thank goodness. Want to get back to dancing?"

The lie by omission fell easily off of Ichigo's tongue. She inwardly cringed at her own behavior. _I'll tell him about everything later._

"Sure," Masaya agreed. He turned to Mint and Zakuro. "Mind if I steal her?"

Mint smirked, curiously observing the interaction unfolding in front of her. "Go right ahead," she said, her voice oozing with intrigue. "We were about done talking anyway."

Ichigo grinned anxiously at Mint and Zakuro, waving as she and Masaya turned to get back to dancing. Mint rolled her eyes at her, a knowing smirk still lingering on her delicate features.

The rest of the night continued without incident. Quiche had disappeared from the main area of the café after his dance with Ichigo. Masaya was able to have a few more scattered conversations with guests, joking about the red wine "accident" as if it was nothing. Ichigo could read his mood, though – Masaya's disposition was tense, more so than it had been after his confrontation with Quiche the day before. She knew that under his calm exterior, he was still furious.

Ichigo leaned into Masaya's gentle touch over the rest of the evening, but she couldn't help but think of her dance with Quiche. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was about their dance, but something new was stirring in her. Something that felt soft, strange and familiar, something more than just the ball of electric emotion that bounced around her stomach whenever she recalled the feeling of his touch on her skin. She swallowed the feeling and hoped it would dissipate with time, fighting to keep her attention on Masaya.

Masaya was a comforting shoulder to lean on, a trusted confidant, and someone she loved deeply. He had less than a week until he had to go back to the university in London — and Ichigo wanted to make his last few days of spring break the best she could, confusing feelings be damned. She knew now more than ever that she had to tell Masaya about the kiss … and about the dance. But the atmosphere between them felt wrong, and Ichigo knew that she had to find the right time to tell Masaya about all of it. His mood felt volatile, too raw for a delicate conversation. Ichigo figured she would tell him on their next date, after they both had time to sleep on the events of the evening – and after the figurative dust had settled.

When the last of the guests began to leave, Ichigo and Masaya made plans for a date the next day. Ichigo sensed Masaya's mood was still off. She hoped their date would smooth things over, and calm the turmoil rushing through Ichigo's head like a hurricane. They ended the evening with a sweet kiss goodnight under a dark, inky sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the lovely comments as of late! I love this tiny, passionate fandom & you are all wonderful. This chapter was REALLY hard to get right with all of the dialog. I've probably re-written it at least 3 times and I'm still not totally happy with it, but I hope you loved it all the same.
> 
> Some small notes on the made-up lore here – I am basing the aliens' system of government off of a non-hereditary, elective monarchy, in case anyone cares to be as geeky as I am. It strikes a nice balance of an old, military-ruled system of government that makes sense for my purposes.
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment! Next chapter is a doozy – I think you'll all really love what's still to come.


	10. Fallout

By the time the last customer of the day left the café, Ichigo felt like her legs were ready to give out from under her. After the gala the night before, her knees were sore and her feet were chafed from the strappy heels she had worn. Not to mention the body ache that came with dancing for several hours. Her regular shift at the café had been long and arduous. Ichigo was relieved to finally lock the front door of the café, turning and leaning against the heavy red doors with a sigh.

Lettuce came from the back area of the café wheeling the mop bucket and mop. She locked the wheels at the far edge of the floor and wrung out the mop.

"Tired?" she asked Ichigo with a weary smile.

Ichigo nodded, rubbing her forehead with the back of her forearm, "Aren't you?"

"Of course," Lettuce replied. "But last night was worth it." She began to mop the back left corner of the floor, working outwards. Ichigo lifted off of the door and went to go get the rest of the cleaning supplies out of the storage closet.

On her return, Ichigo set the caddy of cleaning supplies on one of the café tables and got to work scrubbing the first table with disinfectant. She felt Lettuce's eyes on her; turning, she caught Lettuce's gaze. She looked flustered to have been caught staring.

"Ah– um, Ichigo?" she started hesitantly, "I was actually wondering if I could ask you something."

Ichigo blinked, setting down the disinfectant spray. "Sure, Lettuce. What's up?"

"What – er, what exactly is going on with you and Quiche?" Lettuce asked in a hushed tone, checking behind her to make sure no one was listening. "I'm sorry if that's too forward of me … I just saw what happened last night and things seemed … tense."

 _Did_ _**everybody**_ _see the dance?_ Ichigo thought to herself. She knocked her jaw back and forth, considering how much to divulge to Lettuce. She considered the fact that Lettuce already had somewhat of an established relationship with Pie, and would likely be more understanding of her emotional plight. She shifted her weight from one hip to another.

"It's … complicated," Ichigo said finally, checking again to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. She continued in a hushed tone. "Quiche acted like a jerk last night, trying to make Aoyama mad. He agreed to leave us alone if I danced a song with him. Then he left."

Ichigo sighed and moved on to the next café table, spraying disinfectant and starting to scrub. Lettuce was thoughtful for a minute, continuing to mop upwards to the other corner of the café.

"It sounds simple if you explain it like that," Lettuce remarked finally. "But it sounds like that's not all there is to it. Right?"

"Right," Ichigo sighed. She threw the dishrag down on the table with a frustrated slap. "I don't know, Lettuce. He's messing with my head."

"What do you mean?" Lettuce asked. She came to stand by Ichigo, leaning on the handle of the mop, head tilted to the side. Her bright blue eyes shone with curiosity. Ichigo blew her bangs out of her face and crossed her arms. She sat down in the chair to the left of the table she was cleaning. Lettuce was not one to pry, but she had a natural air of trustworthiness that often yielded secrets from her friends with little effort.

"It's stupid," Ichigo murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I can't get him out of my head. And he won't freaking leave me alone."

Ichigo sighed and leaned her head on her hand. She spoke slowly, "I feel like I'm going crazy … trying to fight my own brain. To stop thinking about things I shouldn't. I don't know."

Lettuce considered Ichigo's words carefully, her expression remaining neutral. "You can't control what you feel, Ichigo," she said quietly, "but you can control what actions you take because of those feelings. I think it's healthy to talk about what you're feeling."

"Thanks Lettuce," Ichigo sighed, her melancholy expression lifting lightly. "It's hard to deal with, you know? Fighting my own thoughts all the time."

Lettuce blinked owlishly. She shifted her weight from one hip to the other. "Ichigo, I know … I know you've been dealing with Quiche being back for over a week now, but … if I'm being honest, I didn't know it was this bad. Do you think you feel something … _romantic_ with him?"

Ichigo inhaled deeply, running a hand through her ruby locks. "I– It's complicated," she muttered. She plucked the intrusive thoughts about Quiche out of her head one by one, examining them to see how much she would divulge to Lettuce. As soon as she began to welcome the thoughts to the forefront of her mind, all of the strange and complex emotions began to burn in her chest again.

Ichigo exhaled, snapping out of her daze and focusing back to Lettuce with a grin. "Tell me about your evening with Pie, though," she exclaimed, abruptly changing the subject. "You two were awfully cozy last night."

Lettuce immediately started to blush, nervously smoothing the front of her uniform's skirt. "I– well–" she stammered, "It … it was perfect." She beamed up at Ichigo, her face pink with bashfulness.

"Is he a good dancer?" Ichigo prodded. She smiled and rested her head on her hands.

Lettuce nodded, eyes wandering throughout the café as she began to reminisce. "Yes, wonderful," she sighed. "It was such a dream, Ichigo. All of it."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Ichigo said. "Quiche was telling me more about their lives back on their planet. I didn't know they were all called 'princes'?"

Lettuce nodded. "Y-yeah, it's quite complex, actually," she said. "It sounds like there's twelve of them, and they get their positions through an election? And they all elect an emperor? It seems very much like old Greek or Roman societies, really."

Ichigo listened intently, her head on her hand. "Hm, yeah," she remarked. "And that's how they got so good at dancing, but somehow none of them know how to total a receipt for a table."

Lettuce giggled. "It's all quite silly, isn't it?" she said. "We have these boys as waiters in the café when they have an entire planet to be taking care of back home."

Ichigo wondered to herself how much Lettuce knew about Pie's plans to return to Earth to see her. After her conversation with Quiche, Ichigo had no doubt in her mind that Pie had been concealing deeper feelings for her friend than he had ever cared to admit. Ichigo fought to keep her mouth shut. An admission of love (or something like it) needed to be kept between the happy couple, and she didn't want to spoil it.

"You had your date with Pie the other day, right? How did it go?" Ichigo asked instead.

"Ah!" Lettuce exclaimed, "I forgot to tell you about the date! Yes, we had a great time. We went to the boba café on the north end of the park, then just spent our time walking around the park and talking. It was … really incredible."

Lettuce sighed, leaning on the handle of the mop again. "I just can't believe all of this is happening," she continued wistfully. "I didn't think I'd ever see Pie again. And now we're going on dates, and dancing a waltz together…"

Lettuce's voice trailed off as she ruminated over the events of the past week. Ichigo continued to smile warmly at her friend, watching her dreamy expression. Her mind was going elsewhere, too, thinking about all that had occurred over such a short period of time.

"He makes you really happy," Ichigo observed, tilting her head to the side.

Lettuce's blush deepened, her posture straightening. "I … yes," Lettuce murmured with a smile and a nod. "It's just … effortless. You know?"

"Effortless," Ichigo repeated thoughtfully. _Effortless._

Now allowing her mind to wander, Ichigo straightened up, grabbing her dishcloth again. "So when's the next date?" she asked Lettuce.

"Maybe sometime this weekend?" Lettuce replied, her voice uncertain. She grabbed the mop handle again and went back to washing the floor. "We talked about it a little last night, but we haven't figured out what we want to do yet."

"Have you had dinner with him yet?" Ichigo asked. "One of my favorite date spots is this sushi place about five minutes away. I can send you the –"

"Ichigo!"

Mint's voice echoed loudly from the back hall. She came jogging into the dining area, wearing her street clothes with her bag over her shoulder. Her panicked eyes darted between Ichigo and Lettuce nervously. "You two had better come quick," she said, out of breath. Ichigo and Lettuce exchanged a worried look and set down their cleaning supplies. They followed Mint out through the hall and out the back door.

The golden light of the approaching sunset lit up a tense scene in front of them. Masaya was standing rigidly, fists clenched, just around the bend of the café near the front door. In front of him was Quiche, who was leaning against the wall of the café nonchalantly, still in the white button-up shirt and black slacks of his work uniform. Neither boy seemed to notice or care that they had an audience.

"This is a waste of time," Masaya said loudly. "I was really hoping for an apology, but it's obvious that's not going to happen."

"Mm, you're a fast learner," Quiche replied snidely. "Glad to see your expensive education thousands of miles away from your girlfriend is paying off."

"I thought I already made it clear to you the other day," Masaya growled, voice raised, "but Ichigo is mine. Embarrassing me in front of her was childish and out of line."

"Whatever you say, my lord," Quiche replied sarcastically, picking his nails.

"I told you to stop calling me that," Masaya snapped. Quiche let out a short laugh.

"You're making an awful lot of demands for a powerless human with a superiority complex," Quiche spat back.

Ichigo decided she had heard enough. She took a deep breath and marched over to the two boys, fists clenched.

"What is going on here?" she yelled, getting both of their attention. She stopped between the two of them, who were standing more than 5 meters from each other.

"I was coming to pick you up for our date," Masaya started warily, "but Quiche wanted to pick a fight."

Quiche let out a "pffft" of disbelief. "Your kidding, right?" he drawled. "I made one joke and you decided to make it your self-righteous crusade for an apology. Which, might I remind you, you're not going to get."

Ichigo looked from Quiche to Masaya with narrowed eyes.

"He's the one who wanted to rehash the incident last night," Masaya insisted, crossing his arms.

"All I asked," Quiche cut in, "was whether he'd prefer a white wine next time."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. She caught the smug look on Quiche's face as he continued to pick at his nails. His cocky attitude and usual snide demeanor had returned in spades.

"Quiche, could you lay off for at least a day?" Ichigo said, annoyed. Quiche lifted his eyes to catch her stare. Ichigo glared at Quiche as he raised an eyebrow. Ichigo hoped that she could communicate her thoughts wordlessly with Quiche, like she had a few times in the past week. She hoped he would walk away from the fight like he had a few days ago, when Masaya had discovered that Quiche could hear her voice. But something sank in the pit of Ichigo's stomach as she caught his eye. His look was intense — like a predator stalking its prey.

"Fine," Quiche said to Ichigo finally, in a low tone. "We can settle things on our own later. Alone."

It was then that Ichigo realized that Quiche was not going to back down – not this time. She immediately glanced over at Masaya, terrified of his reaction. He stood fuming, glaring at Quiche.

"You and Ichigo aren't spending any time alone," Masaya challenged. "Your behavior this week has made sure of that."

"What are you, her dad?" Quiche mocked, pushing back from the wall and rolling his shoulders back. Ichigo could sense the tension in the air rising.

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave Ichigo alone?" said Masaya, voice raised. He took a step forward and uncrossed his arms. "Your stunt last night didn't do you any favors. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Funny you say that, because you're dead wrong," Quiche interjected. His voice was steely cold, but his eyes were on fire.

Ichigo's heart was beating loudly in her chest. She knew in her gut what was coming next. Quiche continued: "Ask Ichigo what happened while you were gone during the party."

Ichigo froze, feeling everyone look at her, including Mint and Lettuce still watching from the back doorway. Her jaw fell open as she stumbled over her words. "I—I was—" she started, meeting Masaya's stare with terrified eyes, "Quiche... told me he'd leave us alone... if I danced one song with him."

"So you did?" Masaya asked, voice still raised. Ichigo, shocked at his angry tone, felt her throat tighten with the squeeze of guilt and fear. She felt like she was choking.

"Y-yes," she murmured, casting her eyes to the ground in shame. She continued quietly, fighting to keep her composure, "I just did what I thought was right."

Ichgo's throat felt like someone was wringing it out like a dishrag, squeezing and twisting her airways. She fought back tears forming at the corners of her eyes. It was only a few moments before she felt Masaya's warm hand gently touch her back. Ichigo leaned into his comforting touch. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed his familiar scent.

"I understand," Masaya murmured into her hair. "It's ok."

Ichigo nodded warily into Masaya's shoulder, grateful for his calm presence and soothing voice. Even with Masaya's comforting arm around her, she was unable to shed the guilty thoughts collecting in her head and gripping her throat. She was relieved to have Masaya's forgiveness, but she felt unable to relax. She realized why when she lifted her gaze to Quiche. He met her eyes with a fiery stare. His focus flickered between Masaya and Ichigo briefly as he observed their embrace.

Ichigo bit her bottom lip in anxious habit. Quiche's stare landed on Ichigo again. He narrowed his eyes.

"You still haven't told him, have you?" Quiche murmured.

Ichigo's jaw dropped open, her back suddenly going stiff. She inhaled, snapping her mouth shut and scrambling to gather her thoughts. The memory of the night in the café kitchen began to replay in her head. It was familiar to her now, after playing it back in her head so many times over the past couple of days. That didn't stop Ichigo from recoiling at the thought of what would happen next. _He's going to tell Masaya about the kiss._

"Tell me what?" Masaya demanded, squeezing Ichigo's shoulder before releasing her from his grasp. His warm brown eyes darted between Ichigo and Quiche. Confusion clouded his expression. Ichigo panicked; she couldn't think of what she could tell Masaya now to mitigate the impending fallout from telling him the truth – now, several days after the fact.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Quiche said, hands in his pants pockets. His stare was locked on Masaya. "Your cat is more fickle than you think."

"What do you mean?" Masaya shot back. "Stop talking in riddles!"

Ichigo took a deep breath, trying to cut into the conversation, but Quiche beat her to the punch.

"Fine. You want the plain truth?" Quiche barked. "Ichigo and I have spent more time alone than you know. In fact..." he paused, eyes flicking to Ichigo momentarily. He clicked his tongue thoughtfully, "...out of all of the kisses that Ichigo and I have shared, the one three days ago was my favorite."

Ichigo felt like her blood had gone cold. Her heart pounded in her chest as she felt Masaya stiffen next to her. Masaya's head slowly turned to meet Ichigo's wide-eyed, gaping expression.

"Ichigo," Masaya started, his voice barely above a whisper, "...is this true?"

Ichigo's head was a whirlwind, a chaotic mess of guilt, sadness and terror. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the words to say something – _anything_ – to her boyfriend. Anything at all to excuse what she had done; to explain not telling him sooner.

And she had to say it without giving away the fact that she hadn't hated the kiss. Not even after days of languishing over how to tell Masaya, not even after Quiche's constant teasing and prodding. Not even after all of the trouble it had caused her. Not even a little bit.

However, Ichigo didn't have time to find the words. She read Masaya's expression and knew that he had read hers. He knew instantly that it was true. Ichigo watched his face sour to a solemn type of anger.

The next second happened so fast that Ichigo could barely register what was happening. Masaya took three wide strides towards Quiche, and his fist connected with Quiche's face in a dull _crack_.

Ichigo's instantaneous reaction was to let out a shriek. Lettuce and Mint gasped.

"Masaya!" Ichigo screamed in shock. Quiche stumbled back two steps, holding a hand over his face. Masaya clutched his fist to his chest, massaging his fingers.

Quiche slowly turned towards Masaya, dropping his palm from his face. His catlike pupils narrowed into tiny slits. Ichigo watched as dark, inky blood began to trickle down from his nose. He turned his head to the side and spat blood, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I've wanted to kick your ass for a week..." Quiche growled, lifting his arms and summoning his weapons, "...so I'll enjoy this a lot."

Ichigo saw Masaya clench his fists again. She had to do something. She knew Masaya couldn't win this fight. Ichigo willed herself to move, and found strength in her legs to dash between Masaya and Quiche. She planted herself directly in front of Quiche, glaring up at his furious expression.

"Don't," Ichigo pleaded in a heavy breath. She clenched her jaw. The smell of iron filled the air as blood dripped down Quiche's face and fell in thick, dark droplets from his chin. Ichigo searched Quiche's eyes with her own, begging for peace in his angry expression. Slowly, she watched his pupils widen again, his breathing slowing. His fury was dissipating with every exhale.

"Ichigo!" called Mint, coming to stand protectively next to her friend. Lettuce quickly followed behind her and put her hand on Ichigo's arm.

"Ichigo," came Masaya's voice from behind Ichigo. Ichigo broke eye contact with Quiche finally, whirling around to meet Masaya's pained visage. Any stiffness and fear in her heart melted in that moment as she saw Masaya's hurt so clearly reflected on his soft, boyish features. Ichigo's shoulders slumped. She slowly walked over to Masaya.

"I– Masaya, it's…" she started warily, unsure of what to say as she took painful step after painful step. "I didn't know how to tell you…"

"Like the dance? You kept that a secret too?" Masaya replied; his voice was deadpan, callous. Ichigo winced. She knew in that moment that Masaya was deeply hurt.

"I just didn't want to ruin everything!" Ichigo lamented, holding her face in her hands. "I wanted to tell you! About both of those things! I just didn't know how."

Masaya ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, letting out a pained breath. He turned to face away from Ichigo, resting his other hand on his hip. His breathing was laboured, heavy. Ichigo came to stand by Masaya's side and rested her hand gingerly on his back.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured. She could feel her throat tightening again. Masaya remained quiet, shaking his head slowly.

"Ichigo, I … I don't know what to think," Masaya said, staring at the ground in disbelief. Ichigo chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes beginning to water. _This could be it,_ she thought, _I could lose everything with him._

"You know that I love you," Ichigo whispered, her voice cracking as the first tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. It was the truth, and it was all Ichigo had. It was all she could think to say. She took one of Masaya's hands in her own. She delicately stroked his fingers as she listened to his breathing.

"I love you too," Masaya replied finally. He lifted his head to look at Ichigo. His expression held an amount of hurt Ichigo had never seen. A fresh wave of guilt and sadness washed over her.

"I just … I need time to think," Masaya continued, his eyes drifting to the ground again. Ichigo's heart dropped to her stomach at his response. _Think about what?_ She wiped the hot, wet tears off of her face with the back of her free hand and squeezed Masaya's hand with the other.

"None of it meant anything," Ichigo murmured. She ignored the voice in her head telling her she was a liar. She attempted to tamp down any confusion, throwing a blanket of guilt over her thoughts instead. "None of it."

Masaya looked up again, meeting Ichigo's watery gaze. She sucked in a breath and focused intently on him, honing in all of her thoughts towards all of her love and concern for him. After over three years of dating, Masaya knew her like the back of his hand; Ichigo hoped that he saw only love in her expression and nothing else.

Masaya let out a deep breath through his nose. "I should go," he muttered, running a hand through his hair again. "I need time. I'm sorry."

Masaya shifted his weight and began to walk towards the walkway of the café, slipping his hand out of Ichigo's. He looked back at her once, expressionless.

Ichigo brought her hands to her chest and watched him walk away into the light of the setting sun.

She wondered to herself how they would ever come back from this. How would Masaya ever trust her again? They had less than a week until Masaya returned to London – how could they repair their trust in a matter of only a few days? What could she ever say to fix this?

Ichigo felt wet tears escaping from the corners of her eyes once more. What could she have done differently? Where had she gone wrong? Her conscience told her that she should have just told Masaya sooner, but as Ichigo replayed the events of the past 10 minutes, her sadness quickly morphed into something harsher, darker. She reminded herself _how_ Masaya found out about the kiss. She turned to look back at Lettuce, Mint and Quiche, all standing a short distance away.

Fury clouded her features as she glared at Quiche, who was still holding a sleeve of his shirt over his bleeding nose. She hoped he could read the hurt in her features and the anger in her eyes. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Quiche's expression was unreadable, something between bewilderment and dissipated anger. Lettuce and Mint looked on with concern.

"Ichigo," Lettuce said finally, coming over to embrace her, "let's get you inside."

Ichigo nodded solemnly. She allowed Lettuce to walk her inside the café, her mind still numb, and heavy with guilt. Once inside the back room of the café, Ichigo took her uniform's headband off and stared at it blankly as she struggled to process the hurricane of thoughts swirling in her head.

"Ichigo, what happened back there?" Lettuce asked in a hush tone. "You and Masaya are … you're not…"

"I don't know," Ichigo murmured stiffly, closing her eyes. She pictured the look on Masaya's face as he turned away from her, the feeling of his hand slipping out of her grasp. "I just … I just know I've made a huge mistake."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the lovely comments! These next few chapters really crank up the drama, and the next chapter (chapter 11) is one of my favorites I've written so far. I hope you'll love how crazy this fic gets from here on out.
> 
> I have a big question for you all about how I'm writing this story, and I'd love to get your input.
> 
> So far I've been writing this fic in a Third Person Limited point of view from Ichigo's perspective only. It's been super fun to build this story from one character's point of view, but I want to know – do you want a chapter (or a section of a chapter) where we break from Ichigo's POV and do a Third Person Limited POV from another character? One of my amazing reviewers on FFnet pointed out that I haven't done as much building around some of the supporting cast, and that's mostly due to the nature of POV I've written this in so far.
> 
> Contenders for getting their own POV in the upcoming chapters are: Quiche (obviously), Pie, Lettuce, Masaya and Mint. Who do you want to get a different perspective from? Or would you rather stay in Ichigo's head the whole story? Let me know what you think!)


	11. Love You Endlessly

Mint watched the back door of the café swing shut. She thanked her lucky stars that Lettuce was so quick to comfort Ichigo, and slow to anger. Herself? Not so much.

She whirled around on her heel and fixed her sharp hazel eyes on Quiche.

"You. Colossal. Idiot," she hissed, enunciating each word pointedly. She crossed her arms and glared up at him.

"Save it, birdie," Quiche snipped back, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He turned his head and spat – more blood, mixed with mucus. Mint curled her nose in disgust. Quiche brushed one hand through his hair as if to appear nonchalant. He straightened his back. "I have to go find Ichigo."

"Um, no, absolutely not," Mint replied with a sneer. "You've done enough damage for the evening ... telling her secrets like that. She'll never forgive you."

"It takes two to tango," Quiche muttered. "It wasn't her secret to keep."

"It was when she had everything to lose," Mint snapped. She glared into Quiche's angry eyes. He clenched his jaw and averted his eyes, obviously uncomfortable.

"Aoyama's pockets, he had –"

"I know, I saw it too," Mint muttered. She let out a frustrated sigh. "It's like I told you the other day … but everything is up in the air now. You'd better stay away from her for a while, for everyone's sake."

"What's with all of you? Ordering me around like a dog," Quiche mumbled under his breath.

"Act like a dog, get treated like one," Mint snapped. She uncrossed her arms and turned to walk towards the back door. "I'll have Tart bring you some ice for that face of yours," she called over her shoulder. "After that punch, you're going to need it."

* * *

_**Masaya,** _

_**I love you endlessly and I am so sorry for everything that happened yesterday. I mean everything that's happened in the last 10 days. Has it really been 10 days? It seems like so much has happened...** _

"No no no, too much rambling."

Crumple, toss.

_**Masaya,** _

_**I love you endlessly and I am sorry for everything. It's been so stressful on me with everything that's happened, and I was so busy I just didn't know know to...** _

"That's a lie … geez, I need to quit making excuses for myself. "

Crumple, toss.

_**Masaya,** _

_**I love you endlessly and I don't want to break up but I also want to maybe not spend forever learning about endangered toads and living away from all of my friends...** _

" _Too_ honest! Am I TRYING to get dumped?!"

Crumple, toss.

_**Masaya,** _

_**I love you endlessly but I am confused. AnditsmaybebecauseofQuiche** _ _-UGH!_

Ichigo balled the paper up in her fist and threw it across her bedroom. It bounced off her pastel pink wall and landed by the foot of her dresser among the other discarded letters.

She looked like a mess; eyeliner from yesterday's makeup smudged under her eyes, her café uniform hastily discarded on the floor. Ichigo hadn't slept. Her night consisted of dozing off for half-hour intervals between crying fits. She had thrown up twice – once in the café bathroom after the confrontation, and once after she got home. No matter what she did, Ichigo couldn't shake the feeling like she had passed a point of no return.

Ichigo's thoughts were swinging like a pendulum. She felt trapped in a cycle of feeling like the worst girlfriend in the world for not telling Masaya about what happened with Quiche right away, then feeling like she was right to wait before telling him, then feeling like she was an _even worse girlfriend_ for even _thinking_ that it was okay to keep a secret from Masaya for any amount of time. This cycle of anger with herself, confusion over what she should have done, and guilt over rationalizing her behavior ate at Ichigo for the whole night.

Not to mention her embarrassment over Lettuce and Mint witnessing the entire fight. Ichigo was ignoring their concerned text messages, still sitting unopened on her phone. Lettuce expressed sympathy tinged with bewilderment ("idk what's going on but we love you no matter what!"). Mint had her own way of expressing support – "you're a dumbass. you'd better come in to work today. love you xo".

The worst part about the whole thing was that even after the confrontation between Quiche and Masaya, Ichigo still couldn't shake the invasive thoughts about Quiche out of her head. Now that everything was out in the open between the trio, Ichigo felt a mild sense of calm that could only come from releasing the weight of a secret from her shoulders. Her biggest fear rested in confronting her own feelings about Quiche – and how honest she should be with Masaya about them. The guilt-ridden burden on her chest told her that she needed to be transparent with Masaya going forward, wholly and honestly. But another part of her wasn't even sure what to be honest about.

What was a flutter in her stomach, really? What was a feeling in her fingertips when he touched her? Ichigo struggled to put words to what she felt when she thought of Quiche. The closest thing she could fathom was a _crush_. She couldn't deny that the buzz under her skin took her back to when she was 13, trying to catch Masaya's eye.

But it wasn't just that. Ichigo was beginning to worry that deep in her repressed, smothered thoughts, there was a whole trove of emotions she hadn't yet unearthed. Something told her that there was a vast, unexplored _something_ between herself and Quiche, just waiting to be unpacked. Like a treasure chest sunken at the bottom of the sea, or a forgotten time capsule buried in a backyard.

That was how Ichigo found herself laying out on her bed with a pen and notepad, trying to distill her thoughts into a letter to her boyfriend. What could she possibly say to fix their broken relationship? Did she want to fix it? _Of course,_ her brain insisted, _Masaya is your best friend. Your everything. Why would you ever consider throwing it away?_

The chest would remain sunken in the deepest depths of the ocean. _Let it grow algae_ , Ichigo thought bitterly, scowling. She blew her bangs out of her face and again began to write.

_**Masaya,** _

_**I love you endlessly and I am sorry.** _

Ichigo jumped when her phone started to buzz suddenly, flinging her pen across her room in surprise. Snatching up her phone, she inhaled sharply when she read the text on its screen.

**Incoming Call**

**~:Masaya Aoyama:~**

Ichigo's heart began to race as she felt panic rising in her chest. Her first instinct was to reject the call; her thumb hovered over the red button on the glassy screen. The phone continued to vibrate incessantly as it rang.

_What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!_ Ichigo thought in terror. She wasn't at all prepared to talk to Masaya – she hadn't even gotten through three lines of her letter she was writing to him. What if he dumped her then and there, over the phone? What could she say then?

_No_ , Ichigo thought, _I have to face whatever it is he wants to say. It would be worse to ignore the call, after everything he's been through._

She took a deep breath, pressed the green button, and held her phone to her ear.

"...hi, Aoyama," she greeted softly.

At first, there was a 2-second silence that made Ichigo's throat clench up into a knot. She held her breath anxiously.

"Hey, Momomiya," came Masaya's warm, comforting voice from the other line. Ichigo let out a small breath of relief upon hearing his voice. Masaya sounded tired.

"I … how are you?" Ichigo started hesitantly. She immediately regretted her choice in words. _I'm an idiot,_ she thought to herself, _of course he's feeling terrible after everything I did to him. Geez._

"I'm feeling better this morning," came Masaya's voice through the speaker. Ichigo raised her eyebrows in surprise with his unexpectedly upbeat response. He continued: "Ichigo, I wanted to apologize for walking away so suddenly last night. I should have just talked through things with you."

Ichigo was startled. She wondered how her boyfriend could be so kind and considerate of her feelings, even when she had been so inconsiderate of him. It made her wonder why she ever doubted that he was the best boyfriend she could ask for – loyal, sweet and endlessly understanding.

"I– ...no, Masaya, it's okay," Ichigo replied meekly, using his first name as he had just used hers. She swallowed her nerves quickly and continued. "Last night was a lot."

A heavy silence rested in the air. Ichigo could almost visualize Masaya's face on the other line, thinking back to the previous night.

"I'm sorry, again," Ichigo blurted out quickly. "There's no excuse. I'm just…"

"Ichigo, I understand," Masaya said. "I had time to think, and … I think I get it now. It was unfair of me to blame you when you were the victim, and this was really all Quiche's fault to begin with."

Ichigo chewed on her lip. What Masaya was telling her wasn't exactly true. It was hard for Ichigo to agree with his assessment of the situation. But she knew that this was her chance at digging herself out of the colossal pit she had thrown herself into the night before. Better to agree with Masaya than to argue over semantics.

"It's ok," Ichigo replied. "I … I should have told you earlier. I was just scared of how you'd react."

"I understand," Masaya reassured her. "I figured as much, after thinking about it. I understand how the whole situation could look bad from the outside … worse than it really is."

Ichigo swallowed the lump in her throat. _It is worse._

"I … yeah," Ichigo agreed lamely. She immediately chastised herself for not agreeing more enthusiastically. "It means a lot that you're so understanding, Aoyama," Ichigo continued, louder and with more cheer in her voice. "I feel a lot better already."

It was a half-lie. Ichigo couldn't help but feel like she was still hiding her true feelings from her boyfriend. But Masaya was metaphorically rolling out a red carpet to an escape route that Ichigo would be stupid not to take.

"I'm glad," came Masaya's warm, comforting voice from the other line. "I know you're probably on your lunch period right now — I didn't want to call you during classes, otherwise I would have called earlier."

Ichigo used her free hand to brush her bangs out of her face. "Uh, actually," she started hesitantly, "I stayed home from school. My mom thinks I have food poisoning."

The excuse she told her mom was much better than having to explain to her parents that Masaya had nearly dumped her, especially considering she would have to lie about the situation with Quiche. Her parents didn't even know she had male coworkers besides her bosses; she was sure her dad would blow a fuse if he knew about Quiche. _What's another lie?_ Ichigo thought to herself. She realized she was getting too good at it.

"Ah, I see," Masaya said. "That's too bad you're stuck at home … I was actually wondering if we could meet up today to talk some more, maybe over ice cream? But we can always go out tomorrow instead."

"No no no," Ichigo quickly insisted, "I can sneak out! We should meet."

Masaya let out a short laugh. "I don't want to get you in trouble! But if you insist, we can try to meet today. Maybe the park by your place, the one with the duck pond and all of the cherry blossom trees?"

"Perfect!" Ichigo agreed, picturing the beauty of the small, popular park just a few short blocks from her street. She sighed into the phone as she allowed herself to relax, slumping her shoulders. "I'm really glad you called. And I'm excited to see you."

"Me too," Masaya agreed. Ichigo could hear the smile in his voice, and it put her at ease. "How about we meet in, say, 20 minutes? Is that enough time?"

"Perfect!" Ichigo agreed. She began to plan how she would sneak out, eyeing the small Juliette balcony connected to her room. "I'll see you then!"

"See you then!" Masaya replied. Ichigo dropped her phone from her ear and hung up the call. She let out a long, wistful sigh.

All things considered, the call could not have gone any better. Ichigo allowed herself to get lost in the easy, comforting affection of Masaya as she drifted around her room, changing into a pair of denim shorts and a white tank top. She carefully crossed the hall outside her bedroom and stole away to the bathroom to freshen her appearance.

_All you have to do now is not say something stupid,_ Ichigo told herself as she brushed through her slightly oily hair. A momentous task, truly. Ichigo scrunched her face at herself in the mirror, languishing over the dark circles under her puffy eyes. She snuck back into her room and picked up a tube of concealer. _How the heck am I going to get back inside after I sneak out?_

"Whatever, I'll figure it out later," she muttered to herself as she finished blending the concealer. She grabbed her small crossbody bag from the back of her chair and slung it over her shoulder.

Ichigo opened the sliding door to her balcony as slowly as possible, stopping and cringing at every squeak and squeal. It felt like ten minutes before Ichigo finally had the door open wide enough to fit through. Once it was open just over a foot wide, she squeezed through the gap and out onto the small balcony. She relished the fresh spring air of the early afternoon. Peering over the side of the balcony, Ichigo swallowed her anxiety and heaved a deep breath. She didn't know if her cat reflexes still worked quite as well in her normal human body, but she had to try.

Awkwardly, slowly, Ichigo swung one leg, then the other, over the balcony. She held onto the railing behind her and crouched on her heels, balancing on the lip of the concrete. Inhaling quickly, Ichigo crouched and jumped.

It wasn't her most graceful jump – she wasn't as agile as she was a few years ago – but Ichigo managed to land on her feet in a crouch. Her knees hurt. Ichigo grimaced, standing up and brushing the grass from her palms. She convinced herself that walking if off would likely help. With that, she started her trek to her neighborhood park.

The walk to the park was less than ten minutes, but to Ichigo it felt like only moments had passed before the voluminous, pink cherry blossom trees of the park came into sight. She was lost in her thoughts as she walked, thinking of what she would say to Masaya. Above all, she was determined to be honest. Honest, transparent, true … and kind, the way Masaya was endlessly kind to her. Her conflicting feelings from earlier in the day were quieter in her mind as she allowed her thoughts to steep in soft, familiar feelings of love for her boyfriend.

Ichigo spotted Masaya quickly. He was sitting on a bench near the beginning of the cobblestone walkway of the park. Ichigo noticed that he was wearing a button up shirt and blue slacks – something more formal than what he normally wore. She felt mildly embarrassed that she had (once again) underdressed for a date. Masaya looked up from his phone as Ichigo approached, smiling warmly. Ichigo found herself folding her hands in front of herself anxiously as she grew closer. She couldn't help but smile back at Masaya's warm, comforting visage.

"Hey, Ichigo," Masaya greeted, calling Ichigo by her first name again. She loved when he did that. Ichigo held out her arms, welcoming Masaya's warm embrace. She inhaled deeply, losing herself in the smell of his cologne.

_Cologne_ , Ichigo noted curiously. Masaya wasn't the type to wear cologne daily, or even on many dates. Ichigo didn't mind – she appreciated his thoughtfulness into his date with her, even if it was just an ice cream date.

Ichigo broke from Masaya's embrace, smiling and feeling a light blush blooming on her face. "It's so good to see you," she murmured. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tilted her head to one side.

"Want to walk around for a bit?" Masaya offered, glancing into the pink and white of the cherry trees in the park. "It's so beautiful this time of year."

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed. She slipped her hand into Masaya's as they fell into a leisurely stroll.

The park was still fairly busy, even on a school day. Tourists and locals alike were weaving through the trees, taking photos of the elegant, delicate cherry blossoms on the old, knotted trees. Ichigo found herself idly rubbing her thumb in circles over the back of Masaya's hand.

"I'm sorry again for leaving so suddenly last night," Masaya said, breaking their comfortable silence. Ichigo let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"No, no," she said quickly, shaking her head. "It was a totally normal reaction. To everything."

"To be honest, I kind of scared myself a bit there," Masaya admitted thoughtfully. His gaze remained fixated in the trees. "I didn't really expect to … lash out like that. When I hit Quiche, that is."

Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek. If she was being honest with herself, she was surprised with Masaya as well. The punch was nothing like anything she'd seen Masaya do before.

"I think that was a normal reaction, too," she replied. It was the truth – if she was in Masaya's shoes, she could see herself doing the same thing. Maybe with less force. She wondered to herself whether Masaya had broken Quiche's nose. She raised her eyebrows at the thought. "He kinda deserved it ... a bit."

Masaya let out a sigh. "Yeah, but it was violent, and I know it was out of line. I'm sorry."

Ichigo furrowed her brow. "Stop apologizing," she insisted, looking up at Masaya with concern. "You're acting like it's all your fault. I'm the one who should be saying sorry."

"It's neither of our faults, really," Masaya replied coolly. He cracked a smile. "In all honesty I'd rather just move past last night. I know it's been a difficult week, and we've been through a lot. But we always end up stronger than ever, don't we?"

Ichigo nodded, smiling. Moving past that night – moving past everything that had happened in the past week – was just what she wanted. "That's true," Ichigo hummed happily. "I always know I can count on us."

"Me too," Masaya replied. He squeezed Ichigo's hand affectionately. Ichigo heard him take a long, deep breath before continuing. "I was actually wondering about something. I've been thinking a lot about us being long-distance and all that, with me going back to London in a few days here."

Ichigo felt her heart rate speed up in anticipation of what Masaya had to tell her. Was he dumping her after all? Was he reconsidering the idea of a long-distance relationship? She looked up at Masaya with wide eyes. He looked deep in concentration.

"I thought about it some more, and I really … I really don't want to be apart anymore," Masaya said finally, glancing down at Ichigo. His deep brown eyes swirled with equal parts concern and the affection Ichigo knew well. "I was wondering if you'd consider moving with me to London. For university, that is. Not just for a few weeks."

It was the very topic Ichigo was concerned about, sitting at the root of her relationship with Masaya. Her relationship with her boyfriend was paramount, but she still had strong hesitations about moving abroad, away from everything she knew.

Ichigo chewed her lip. "Aoyama … you know I'd love to be around you like this all the time," she started. "But I … I don't know about moving to London. Not that I don't want to be with you. It's just … a lot to think about."

In the spirit of honesty, Ichigo was allowing her true thoughts to tumble from the forefront of her mind off of her tongue. She hopes Masaya would understand. There were so many complications to moving abroad – and so much Ichigo would have to leave behind.

"I understand," Masaya replied softly. "What are you worried about, mostly?"

Ichigo paused a beat. A plethora of concerns presented themselves in her mind; she began plucking them out one by one. "Well, there's the obvious things...like the language barrier. My English is terrible. And there's my grades … I don't know if I could get into a university with my grades right now. Plus paying for it all."

Ichigo sighed, hoping that Masaya wouldn't think badly of her hesitation. He was quiet as they continued their walk. "I guess," Ichigo continued slowly, "my main concern is more to do with what I'm leaving behind. You know? I mean, all of my friends are here … my mom and dad … my work, my life."

She glanced up at Masaya. He nodded thoughtfully. "I know what you mean," he replied finally. "I felt the same way when I first moved abroad. It was really terrifying at first, but I feel like I grew a lot as a person. It's about being out of your comfort zone, you know?"

What Ichigo wanted to say was " _That's your life!"_ or " _You're the one who's wanted to study abroad since you were young!"_ But she bit her tongue, thinking carefully about how to reply. "Mmhm," she murmured, wanting to fill the silence with something of an agreement.

Hearing Masaya talk about his experience moving abroad made Ichigo think more about the differences between her and her boyfriend. Masaya had all of these ambitions to study in the UK, and had dedicated so much of his life to his work and school. Ichigo had always admired his work ethic, and his dedication to causes that mattered to him. But the more she thought about Masaya's career trajectory, the more she wondered if she was in the same place as him. Did she know what she wanted for her life? Was she walking a path she was paving for herself, or was she simply following Masaya down his?

What did she want? Ichigo didn't even know – and as a 17-year-old almost ready to graduate high school, it made her anxious to think about making such a monumental decision to move abroad and change the course of her life so quickly. _What if I need to figure myself out first?_

Ichigo swallowed, feeling a tightness gripping her throat. She breathed deeply through her nose and glanced back up at Masaya. He looked concerned, catching her gaze with an anxious look.

"You know that in the end, I just want you to be happy," Masaya said softly. He squeezed Ichigo's hand. "I've just been thinking lately that I don't want us to be apart anymore. But if you feel differently…"

Ichigo was quick to cut in. "No, no," she insisted, "I … I would love to not be long-distance anymore. It's just … a lot to think about."

Masaya nodded again. He stopped walking, squeezing Ichigo's hand. She turned to face him, inhaling deeply as she felt a strange energy pass between them. Masaya took Ichigo's other hand in his and gently rubbed the back of it with his thumb. Ichigo looked up into Masaya's warm, chestnut-colored eyes. She cracked a small smile, allowing herself to melt into his comforting gaze.

"Ichigo, it's not just moving abroad," Masaya said finally, shifting his weight from one hip to the other. He looked nervous; Ichigo felt herself tense up as she sensed his strange mood. "It's just … wanting to always be with you. After everything we've been through, especially this week, I've realized something important. I don't want to ever be without you in my life. I don't care if that's long-distance or not. I just know that the most important thing in my life right now is you. And you always will be."

Masaya let go of one of Ichigo's hands. Ichigo's eyes widened, her heart leaping into her throat as she watched Masaya reach into his pocket. It felt like time was moving in slow motion as Ichigo watched Masaya drop to one knee, and pull a small box out of his pants pocket. Her breath quickened, feeling the pulse of her heartbeat thrumming in her ears. The whole world seemed to fade into the background. Ichigo felt like she would faint. _Oh god, oh god, oh god..._

The delicate spring breeze carried fallen cherry blossom petals around them as Masaya lifted the lid of the box to reveal the most beautiful princess-cut diamond ring Ichigo had ever laid eyes on.

"Ichigo Momomiya … will you marry me?"


	12. Big News

" _Ichigo Momomiya … will you marry me?"_

Time seemed to slow to a halt around Masaya and Ichigo. Ichigo had waited for this moment ever since she was a little girl, dreaming about finding romance and true love. Here she stood in the middle of her favorite childhood park, on a perfect spring day, in a moment she had dreamed about over and over again. She could hardly believe it was real – she just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

The ring was perfect: a classic princess-cut diamond set in a white gold band. Its crystal clear gem glinted in the sun and sparkled in Ichigo's eye. For those few precious seconds, the whole world disappeared around her. Everything Ichigo had been worrying about dissipated – her focus was as clear as the diamond in the ring.

Ichigo inhaled deeply, holding her face in her hands and feeling happy tears welling up behind her eyes. Her eyes moved from the brilliant diamond to Masaya's expectant gaze. A smile spread across her face as she nodded quickly, struggling to find her voice again.

"Y-yes!" she finally exclaimed. She gasped as the word left her lips.

_She had just said yes. She was engaged to Masaya Aoyama._

Masaya smiled broadly, happiness dancing in his eyes. He quickly slipped the ring from the small ring box and slowly, gently placed it on Ichigo's hand. Ichigo gasped at how it fit nearly perfectly. The mere look of the ring on her finger put her throat in a knot.

Ichigo was momentarily distracted by the sound of onlookers clapping around them. She looked up in surprise and realized that some of the visitors of the park had seen the proposal, and were cheering them on. Masaya stood up next to Ichigo and wrapped her in a tight, warm hug as the people in the park around them voiced congratulations.

"I love you," Masaya murmured into her hair. Ichigo sighed deeply into his shirt, feeling her heart flutter and her shoulders relax.

"I love you, too," she replied softly. She broke from the hug smiling up at her new fiancé. She felt like she was floating in a sort of daze, giggling as she glanced down at the ring again. "It's beautiful, Masaya."

"I hoped you'd like it," Masaya said, resting his hands on her waist. "I've been carrying it around in my pocket for about a week or so. I just wanted to wait for the right moment, and I woke up this morning thinking … I had to make the right moment happen."

Ichigo had to quickly hide her surprise at his admission that he had been waiting to propose for a week. When else had he been hoping to propose? The charity gala, maybe? Their date yesterday? Ichigo didn't have time to think on it long – a middle-aged woman approached Masaya and Ichigo, smiling.

"Congratulations, you two! Do you want me to take your photo?" she asked in a kind, sweet voice. Ichigo smiled warmly, nodding.

"Yes, please! Thank you!" she replied quickly, glancing up at Masaya for confirmation. He nodded, opened his phone camera, and held out his phone to the woman. Ichigo posed with Masaya, thanked the kind stranger, and tried not to let her mind wander too far down the path of wondering if she had been inadvertently ruining her own chances of a proposal for an entire week.

Masaya had been wanting to propose to her this whole time, and Ichigo had spent so much of her time trying to convince herself that she was still committed to him. Ichigo did her best to swallow familiar feelings of guilt and self-deprecation in what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of her life. She looked down at Masaya's phone as he showed her the photo of the two of them together. They looked happy, perfect – Ichigo smiled and glanced up at Masaya, wanting to lose herself again in the moment.

"I'm a little underdressed, aren't I?" Ichigo laughed. "I wasn't expecting this at all, or else I would have worn something nicer!"

"No, you look perfect," Masaya insisted. Ichigo relished in the compliment, leaning up against Masaya's shoulder affectionately. He put his phone back in his pants pocket and sighed, smiling. "Want to walk around a little more? We have lots to talk about, huh?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah!"

She took Masaya's hand in hers and they began to stroll through the park again. Ichigo kept glancing down at the ring, tilting it so it glinted in the bright afternoon sun. It felt like such a heavy weight on her finger – Ichigo didn't usually wear much jewelry, except for the bell choker she often wore around her neck.

Ichigo and Masaya began to slowly tease apart the details of what they would do next, now that they were engaged. They both quickly agreed that they were very, very young by most people's standards – so not everyone would take well to their engagement. Masaya admitted that he had not spoken to Ichigo's parents before planning the proposal. Ichigo cringed at the thought of telling her parents. They agreed to keep the engagement secret from both of their families, at least until after Ichigo had graduated high school.

They had circled the entire perimeter of the park before Masaya asked about who else they should tell. "I'm guessing you'll want to tell your friends, though, right?" he asked with a smile. "We can go see who's working at the café today if you'd like."

Ichigo lit up at the thought of telling her friends about the news. She was especially eager to see if Lettuce and Mint were working, so that she could assure them that everything was okay with her and Masaya. Their worried texts had gone unanswered on her phone.

"Sure, let's go!" Ichigo agreed cheerfully, swinging Masaya's arm playfully as they held hands. A creeping worry began to gnaw at her: there was a chance they would run into Quiche. And he was unlikely to be excited with their big news. Ichigo shook the thought out of her head quickly, trying to maintain her excitement at the thought of showing off her ring to her friends.

The walk to the café seemed to take no time at all as Ichigo and Masaya held hands and chatted about what was next in their futures. Ichigo, mood lightened by the engagement, readily accepted Masaya's offer to help her with applications for universities in London. Ichigo's previous worries about moving abroad felt momentarily distant from the hazy bliss of her new engagement. Masaya insisted to her that she would be able to get into a university close to where he was doing his work-study program. Ichigo wondered to herself if Masaya had ever seen her abhorrent grades.

"What program do you think you'll want to apply to?" Masaya asked cheerfully. The café was just coming into view around the bend, its pink and red exterior standing out like a girlish beacon in the green foliage of the surrounding park.

"Well," Ichigo started hesitantly, "I've always thought about pre-med? Nursing, maybe? I don't know, I've always known I want to help people. I think that would be good."

Masaya smiled, squeezing Ichigo's hand reassuringly. "That sounds wonderful! I agree, I think you would do really well as a doctor or a nurse."

Ichigo nodded, forcing a wide smile up at her boyfriend. In reality, the thought of picking a career _now_ was beginning to make her feel sick. What if she just wanted to serve cakes for a while? Hang out with her friends, live with her parents? She knew the thought was naïve, but it didn't stop her from returning to the idea simply staying in Tokyo for a while. The familiar fear of moving abroad quickly soured her hazy bliss, and it made her feel sick to her stomach.

_You don't want to be away from Masaya any more,_ she reminded herself. _Especially now that you two are engaged._

Ichigo squeezed Masaya's hand as they approached the bright red, open doors of the cafe. He looked down at her with a warm, happy smile. It was infectious; Ichigo found it hard to be anxious when Masaya fixed her with his comforting gaze. She pushed her anxiety to the side and sighed.

"Ready?" Masaya asked her. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah! Let's–"

"Oy, I thought you were sick with food poisoning!"

Ryou's angry voice ripped through the calm moment like a knife. Ichigo startled, cringing as Ryou marched up to the couple with a tea towel still tossed over his shoulder. He looked annoyed as Masaya and Ichigo stopped in the doorway of the café.

"Feeling better now? Coming in to work after all?" Ryou continued, crossing his arms. "It's still an hour before your scheduled shift."

"Shirogane, listen, I can explain!" Ichigo sputtered, waving her hands in front of her dismissively. "I uh– I was feeling sick earlier but I'm much better now!"

"So you think you're going to waltz in for ... a date?" Ryou challenged, eyeing Masaya warily. "Nice to see you, Aoyama, by the way" he added, nodding to Masaya. Masaya nodded cordially in return, observing the argument unfolding in front of him with curiosity.

"Well I actually–!" Ichigo started confidently. She faltered in the way to deliver the news of the engagement, tripping over her words. "What I wanted to tell you was … uh…"

"Woah, what is THAT?" came a high-pitched voice from behind Ryou. Pudding darted out of the café and snatched up Ichigo's hand. The blonde mew gasped loudly and slapped her other hand to her face in shock.

"Big sis, are you … ENGAGED?!"

Ryou looked like he had been slapped in the face. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the ring on Ichigo's hand as Pudding held it up to the light. Ichigo grinned anxiously. She heard the café go quiet behind her. It seemed like the café patrons were listening in.

"I uh… yes!" Ichigo said finally, inhaling sharply and straightening her back. "Aoyama just asked me! We're engaged!"

"Whaaaa–!" Pudding exclaimed, dropping Ichigo's hand and bounding into the café. She wasted no time making an announcement to the whole establishment: "Hey! Big sis Ichigo is engaged!"

"WHAT?!" came a shrill voice from a table to the left, behind Ryou. Mint darted out in an instant, snatching Ichigo's hand to inspect the ring. She was in plain clothes, most likely dropping by as a visitor rather than working. Her deep brown eyes darted from the ring back up to Ichigo, then back to the sparkling gem. "Ichigo, congratulations! The ring is beautiful!" She grinned excitedly and wrapped Ichigo in a hug. Mint was soon joined by Zakuro and Lettuce, where the four girls took turns hugging and congratulating the happy couple. They all fawned over the ring with a chorus of "ooohh"s and "wow"s.

"Wait, Aoyama, how did you propose?" Lettuce asked Masaya shyly. "If–if you don't mind me asking…"

Masaya beamed, reveling in the jovial atmosphere. "Not at all! It was a bit spontaneous. We just went for a walk in one of Ichigo's favorite parks, and I just sort of … asked!"

"Uncomplicated," Zakuro remarked with a nod. "I respect that."

Ryou sighed dramatically, a smile creeping up his face. He pushed his blond hair out of his face with one hand and shook his head. "Well, Momomiya, you're making it awfully hard for me to be mad at you," he joked. Ichigo grinned up at his amused expression. "Congrats," Ryou added, tilting his head to one side.

Ichigo beamed up at the crystal blue eyes of her boss. "T-thanks!" she sang, glancing down at the ring once more.

"Wait, can I see?" a girl's voice rang from inside the café. Ichigo leaned to her left and peered into the dining room. The entire café was alight with excitement as its patrons craned their necks to watch the scene unfold in the doorway. It appeared they had an audience.

Ichigo giggled and led Masaya into the café, to the table of the curious middle school girl.

"Sure!" she chirped, holding out her hand for the girl – a café regular, Ichigo realized – to take a look. The young girl gasped at the ring in starry-eyed wonder. Her friend seated across from her craned her neck to stare.

"Wowww, so pretty!" she murmured. "I wanna get engaged!"

Ichigo laughed. "Well, maybe when you're a little older!" she said cheerfully, grinning. The irony was not lost on Ichigo that she was not _that_ much older than the girl in front of her. _Funny thing for me to say, being a 17-year-old fiancée,_ she thought.

She looked up and saw that half of the café was out of their seats, wanting a look at her sparkling new engagement ring. Ichigo complied with the onslaught of questions from guests, recounting exactly how Masaya proposed, how she had reacted, and what she thought the ring would look like. Masaya stood nearby the whole time, placing a reassuring hand on Ichigo's back and obediently responding to questions about the engagement when asked.

"Hey, didja really have to cause a scene in the whole stupid café?" came Tart's voice to Ichigo's left. Ichigo glared over in his direction as Tart set down a table's order: two strawberry milkshakes.

"Don't be such a sourpuss, Tar-Tar!" Pudding chirped off to Ichigo's right. She bounded over to Tart with a skip and a twirl. "Ichigo and Aoyama just got engaged! It's a big deal!"

"What does that even _mean_?" Tart replied gruffly. "All I see is a tiny piece of jewelry."

"It's uhh–" Lettuce started, peering over at Tart and Pudding from Ichigo's side. "It's also called a… betrothal? Does that sound more familiar?"

It looked like a lightbulb had gone off in Tart's head. He snapped his mouth shut and nodded slowly, frowning. "Hmm, yes. Ok I get it now. That is…really important." He paused, tilting his head to the side and catching Ichigo's curious look in his. "I uh– sorry old hag."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the strange apology from Tart. "Apology accepted," she replied with a grin. Tart looked annoyed at having to apologize. He slunk back to the kitchen with his serving tray under one arm, and Pudding hanging off the other.

The small crowd around Ichigo had mostly dissipated by then, with café guests returning to their seats, still buzzing with excitement. Ryou approached Ichigo and Masaya just as Ichigo finished apologizing to Lettuce for calling in sick to her shift.

"Hey Momomiya, you should probably take off," Ryou said with a smirk. "It's a big day and all that. You two should enjoy it."

Ichigo beamed at the rare show of benevolence from her boss. She nodded enthusiastically, clutching Masaya's hand tighter and leaning a head on his shoulder. "Ok! We will! Thank you Shirogane!"

"And congratulations again," Ryou added, his glad eyes glancing between Ichigo and Masaya.

Ichigo looked up at Masaya happily. "Ready to go?"

Masaya nodded, "Sure, how about that ice cream I promised you earlier?" Ichigo giggled and pulled Masaya towards the bright red doors.

They were just to the entrance of the café when Ichigo heard the jarring sound of a plate connecting with the floor towards the back of the café. Ichigo, startled, glanced back into the café. She saw Pudding's head poking out from the back hall leading towards the kitchen.

Pudding spotted Ichigo looking back in her direction. She mouthed the word "go", shooing Ichigo away with one hand. Ichigo didn't understand what was happening until she heard the sound of a glass connecting with the wall in an ear-splitting crash.

The dishes weren't being dropped — they were being _thrown_.

"Uh, we should go," Ichigo said hurriedly to Masaya, pulling at his hand towards the exit of the café. Masaya hadn't yet connected the dots as he furrowed his brow, turning from the commotion in the kitchen and following Ichigo out to the bright, breezy park outside the café. Ichigo quickly swallowed the sour feeling of distress itching at her throat.

"What was that about?" Masaya asked, glancing back towards the café as they headed towards the main path through the park. Ichigo bit her lip.

"Hm, I'm not sure," Ichigo replied quickly. "Tart can be awfully clumsy with the dishes."

She caught herself mid-lie, wondering to herself why it had spilled from her lips so quickly. In reality, she knew exactly what was going on. Tart and Pudding had left to go to the kitchen – and two minutes later, someone was throwing dishes against the wall. She was sure that Tart and Pudding had found Quiche and told him the news. What else could it have been? Ichigo wondered to herself why, even now, she was still protecting Quiche from Masaya's judgement. Maybe it was a habit, a defense mechanism she had developed over the past week and a half. She rationalized to herself that this had to be the case. A twisted, knotted feeling sat like a weight in the pit of her stomach. She clenched her jaw and did her best to put the last two minutes out of her mind.

Ichigo quickly changed the topic. "So, where are we going for ice cream?"

Masaya seemed hesitant to change topics at first. He took an extra few moments to respond, and Ichigo wondered briefly if he picked up on her white lie.

"Hm, I was thinking the place on the corner by the hair salon. The one that does all of the cookie toppings. How does that sound?"

"Mm, yeah! Let's do that!" Ichigo agreed cheerfully. She swung Masaya's hand back and forth as they walked. She found herself grasping for a new topic quickly, feeling uncomfortable still after their exit from the café. "Everyone seems really excited about the engagement! I'm glad Shirogane wasn't too mad."

"Yeah," Masaya replied, smiling, "it was quite the welcoming party, huh?"

Ichigo giggled, nodding. "Pudding made a huge scene of it, that's for sure! That's what she does best."

Masaya laughed lightly along with Ichigo. "Do you think all of them will be bridesmaids? The mews?" he asked.

Ichigo stiffened at the question. Her gut soured unexpectedly as she found herself suddenly fearful of the thought of making real, tangible wedding plans. Despite the obvious meaning behind an engagement, Ichigo could scarcely picture herself as a bride without feeling an anxious grip on her lungs.

"Yeah I think so!" Ichigo replied finally, swallowing her nerves. "We're all such good friends; I don't see why not."

"Makes sense," Masaya remarked. He gave Ichigo's hand a squeeze and looked down at her as they walked. "You seem anxious. Your hands feel hot."

"Well I– I..." Ichigo started, stuttering. She stopped, heaving a deep breath and catching up her words to her thoughts. "I guess it's just a lot to think about for one day! I mean, I started off my day feeling really nervous about us. Well, like, what you would say, that is. After everything."

Masaya nodded. "What a day, huh?" he said softly. He paused for a beat. "You know, I meant what I said earlier. This past week and a half has been really difficult, but I think it says a lot about us that we were able to work through it. That we're here, together."

Ichigo sighed. Masaya was right. Their relationship seemed bulletproof, virtually impenetrable after everything that had happened in such a short period of time. Ten days somehow felt like a lifetime. Now, she knew the only person who could mess it up was her. And Ichigo had no intention of messing it up again.

"I feel the same way," Ichigo murmured. She leaned her head on Masaya's upper arm as they walked. "I'm lucky."

"No, I am," Masaya said softly. "Lucky that I get to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful girl."

A sense of warm, calm energy washed over Ichigo as she breathed in the musky scent of Masaya's cologne. She felt safe and warm with her head on his arm. Life felt simple in that moment. "I love you," she sighed.

"I love you too," Masaya replied. He planted a gentle kiss on her head. "You're my cat, and I can't wait until we're living in the same city again."

Ichigo smiled up at her fiancé lovingly. "So when is your–"

Ichigo was interrupted by a jarringly loud screech from the sky above them. It sounded like some kind of sea bird. She immediately craned her neck to look up, squinting into the afternoon sun. Masaya gripped her waist protectively as he watched the sky.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I have an idea," Ichigo murmured. A chill crept up her spine; the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She reached for her mew pendant in her bag.

Ichigo saw the shadow before anything else. A giant black shadow appeared over the crest of the trees, followed by a massive grey chimera that looked like some kind of mangled seagull. Its beady red eyes scanned the ground as it let out another ear-piercing shriek. One of Ichigo's worst fears was coming to life: a chimera attack while she was alone, with Masaya. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Ichigo, get to cover!" Masaya cried, pushing Ichigo towards the cluster of trees to their left. Ichigo grabbed Masaya's hand and ducked under the closest tree, watching the chimera circle above them. The bird's chest swelled and its neck craned back. It wretched, then spat a tire-sized glob of what looked to be some sort of acid. The attack landed towards the center of the park, narrowly missing the park patrons as they ran for cover. Ichigo gasped as she heard the terrified screams of the civilians trying to get away from the spreading liquid.

"I'm going to transform!" Ichigo yelled, glancing back at Masaya. "Stay here until I can get it under control!"

"Ichigo, you can't!" Masaya called back at Ichigo as she stepped out of the cover of the trees. He reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Your teammates aren't here yet! You'll get hurt!"

"I can't just sit here!" Ichigo insisted. She knew she had to fight. She knew she had to protect the bystanders in the park, even though she knew her chances of defeating the chimera on her own were slim.

She lifted her mew pendant to her lips. "Mew Mew Ichigo, Metamorphosis!"

Ichigo felt the warm, pulsing energy of her transformation wrap her body in her costume as the wildcat genes took over. She opened her pink eyes and quickly summoned her strawberry bell. Her power thrummed through her veins and instilled a rush of much-needed confidence.

Ichigo looked over her shoulder at Masaya. He had his fists clenched at his sides, worry clouding his features as their eyes met. "Aoyama, promise you won't leave the cover of the trees until it's safe," Ichigo said.

Masaya looked hurt. "Ichigo, I want to protect you. I don't know if I can transform," he replied. "Please be safe."

Ichigo nodded and turned back to face the park where the chimera circled above. She hadn't the slightest idea of how she could fire an attack on a chimera in the sky, when she couldn't even fly.

As if to read her mind, Masaya called from behind her: "All you have to do is buy time! The mews have been able to get to you quickly – you just need a few minutes. I'll call the café on my cell to see if I can reach them that way, too."

A terrifying thought crossed Ichigo's mind. The only reason the mews had been able to get to her so fast was because of Quiche, and his ability to sense when she was in distress. Would he still be able to warn the mews that she was in trouble? Would he care?

Ichigo clenched her jaw and began to run towards the center of the park. The creature flying overhead let out an ear-piercing screech that felt like a knife in Ichigo's sensitive cat ears. She cringed, grimacing and squinting up into the sun.

_Please get here fast._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super fond of how dry this chapter is, but I'm nearly done editing ch. 13 and it's one of my favorites. Super excited to share it with all of you very soon.
> 
> HUGE thank you to everyone leaving comments lately – I adore hearing from all of you! Please let me know what you thought of the chapter, predictions for future chapters, etc. Cheers!~


	13. The Least of Your Worries

The seagull chimera circled overhead, casting a long, dark shadow over the park near Café Mew Mew. Ichigo ran around the perimeter of the park, using one hand to block the sun from her eyes as she squinted up at the grey, feathered monster. She saw the beast crane its neck back to fire another blob of acid from its long, gangly throat. It was flying just over her head.

"Run!" Ichigo yelled to the park visitors huddled under a cluster of trees just ahead. The people took off further into the trees just as the chimera's green-tinted acid connected with the ground in a sickening splat. Ichigo recoiled, dodging a stray glob flying over her shoulder from the impact.

She leapt onto a park bench, then jumped into the boughs of an old cherry tree just above it. From this higher vantage point, she could see the chimera had a bald patch on its feathered back as it circled around the opposite edge of the park. A green, pulsing mass protruded from its skin. Ichigo recognized immediately that she needed to hit the creature on its back, where the skin exposed what looked like a discolored organ.

Ichigo wondered to herself how she would be able to hit the chimera's back while it flew. Her bright pink eyes followed the form of the chimera as it began to fly back in her direction. On a whim, Ichigo crouched and jumped up out of the tree as high as she could. She held out her strawberry bell, aiming straight for the head of the chimera.

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

A blast of pinkish-white light erupted from her weapon. The chimera easily dodged the blast of energy, careening to the left. It shrieked at Ichigo and dove straight towards her. Ichigo could hardly focus as the shrill cry of the monster rattled around in her head. She landed back in the boughs of the tree and ducked. The chimera's beak snapped just above her head as it flew past.

Ichigo's ears were still ringing. She stuck her head above the pink blossoms of the tree and saw that the chimera was turning around to fly back towards her. _Think fast, Ichigo,_ she told herself. The chimera dove towards her at a breakneck speed.

Ichigo sprung up again, jumping as high as her legs would allow just before the chimera reached her. She somersaulted in the air and dove down. The wind rushed past her as she reached out her hand to grasp the feathers of the bird creature. The feathers tore out of the creature's skin as she snatched hold of them. Ichigo felt herself falling off of its greasy, grey back as she scrambled to grab hold of something. She reached out and caught one of the chimera's rubbery back legs as she fell off the back of the beast.

The chimera's reaction was immediate. It let out another shriek, and Ichigo felt like she would throw up from the sound rattling through her head. She used her other hand to grip on to the thick, rubbery leg of the creature; the chimera began to rapidly swing its leg to and fro in an attempt to shake her off.

Ichigo's hair whipped around her face, her arms wrapped around the chimera's leg with an iron grip. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. She recognized a pattern to the movement of the chimera's leg as it swung forward, backward, then forward again in swift kicks. Thinking fast, she felt the leg swing back, then leapt from the leg of the chimera as it swung forward. She catapulted forward and caught the neck of the chimera in her arms.

The creature swung its neck left and right, a strangled cry barely escaping from its throat. Ichigo threw her body weight towards her left and managed to swing one leg over the neck of the chimera. She yanked herself up on the beast with force, struggling to stay on as the bird creature bucked and swung its neck. Ichigo fisted two massive handfuls of feathers on its neck. She caught a glimpse of the ground below and swallowed her nerves, feeling like she might be sick.

The chimera, feeling the weight of Ichigo on its back, began to dive. Ichigo shrieked as she saw the ground approaching quickly. At the last second, the chimera pulled up and began to take off further up into the air again. Ichigo felt her ears pop as they climbed higher and higher in the air. She cringed to think that if the chimera threw her off now, she wouldn't survive the fall.

Ichigo screamed as the bird whipped to the left suddenly. She clenched its feathers even tighter and felt some of them pluck from its skin. Then, the chimera quickly turned in the other direction; Ichigo wrapped her arms around the neck of the creature as it did a barrel roll in mid-air. She landed on the back of the bird again with her arms still clenched tightly around its neck and sweat dripping from her nose. Her heart felt like it was in her throat.

The bird dove down again, plummeting towards the ground with a frightening speed. Ichigo recognized the same city park below her as they careened towards the clearing where she had first jumped on the back of the beast.

Through her blurry, windswept vision, Ichigo made out a splotch of yellow just coming through the trees. It was Pudding, in her mew uniform. And the chimera was heading right towards her.

"Look out!" Ichigo screamed. She watched Pudding dive out of the way as the chimera snapped at the young mew with its sharp, gnarled beak. The chimera took to the sky again; Ichigo chanced a glance behind her to see Zakuro emerging from the trees just behind Pudding.

Ichigo felt a jolt of relief and hope run through her at seeing her teammates, even just for a brief moment. She felt a renewed energy pulsing in her veins. A brief flash of blue caught her eye off to her left. She looked over and saw Mint flying in parallel with the chimera.

"Ichigo, hang in there!" Mint called to her. Her bow was drawn. She flew as fast as she could to stay level with the bird creature. Ichigo swallowed her fear and gripped tighter to the chimera's feathers. Then, Ichigo saw another figure rising through the wispy cloud cover. It was Pie, flying closer to the chimera alongside Mint.

"Mew Ichigo!" he called. "Grab on, quick!"

Pie reached out his hand to Ichigo. Quickly, trustingly, she reached out and grabbed his outstretched hand. He gripped her wrist in his palm. In the next second, Ichigo felt herself being lifted off of the bird chimera. She shrieked as she was left dangling in the air, suspended by Pie's iron grip. Ichigo looked up at Pie with fear; his face was calm, concentrating on lowering her to the ground.

"Hang on," he said reassuringly as the ground grew closer. Ichigo chanced a glance below her. The grassy surface of the park grew nearer every passing second. She could still hear her heartbeat in her ears.

"Ok, I can jump!" she announced, glancing back up at Pie. He looked down at her and nodded, then released her hand from his grip. Ichigo easily dropped the remaining 4 meters to the ground, landing in a crouch. She whirled around and watched Pie take off into the sky once more.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Pudding cried, dashing over to Ichigo. The blonde mew tackled Ichigo in an embrace as Ichigo caught her breath.

"I'm fine," Ichigo said while catching her breath. She watched the chimera soar overhead. "I'm glad you all came as fast as you did."

"This chimera is strong," came Zakuro's voice. She approached Ichigo and Pudding, her weapon drawn at her side. "They seem to be getting more powerful."

Ichigo furrowed her brow, concerned. "All I know about this one," she said, "is that it spits some sort of acid. It's green and spreads fast on the ground. It bites, too – try to stay away from its beak."

"Rodger!" Pudding said, saluting. "We'll take care of it no problem!"

"The key players in this battle are Mint, Pie and Tart," said Zakuro, glancing up in the air again. "Mint is the only one of us who can fly. We're all depending on her."

Ichigo clenched her jaw, glancing up at the sky again at the three figures. She furrowed her brow as she thought through their strategy to defeat the monster. "Wait, where is Quiche?"

"Ichigo!" came Lettuce's voice from behind her. Berry tagged along with Lettuce as the two girls ran up to the group. "We saw you flying on top of the chimera! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Ichigo said, glancing between Lettuce and Berry. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she thought quickly about how she would lead her team. "We were just talking about this chimera – it's strong, and Mint is the only one of us mews who can fly. Where is Quiche? We need all of the boys here to help since they can all fly."

Lettuce and Berry exchanged a concerned look before turning back to Ichigo. Ichigo frowned, waiting impatiently for a response. She had a feeling what the answer would be, but she was annoyed with the fact that one of the strongest teammates in their partnership was missing, regardless of his personal feelings.

"Ichigo, it's … things were really bad just now," Lettuce said finally. She was picking her words carefully, taking care to glance up at the sky to watch the battle in the pauses. "He is borderline hysterical. We all agreed he had to stay behind."

Ichigo masked her complicated feelings with a scowl. She knocked her jaw back and forth. "Wait, you kept him behind? As in, he was going to help but you told him not to?"

"Ichigo, we couldn't just let him show up here ten minutes after he pretty much destroyed the café kitchen!" Berry interjected. She grimaced, glancing between Ichigo and the rest of the mews. "Shirogane and Keiichiro are keeping him at the café until he calms down."

Ichigo breathed a deep breath and looked up at the sky to mask the swirling conflict of emotion bubbling to the surface of her mind. "Okay, well in that case, we'll do our best with what we have!" she announced confidently. Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and glanced around at the other mews. They looked skeptical, concerned. Ichigo tried not to let her façade falter. She wondered to herself how much they all knew – or what they suspected.

Not waiting for an answer, Ichigo began formulating a plan. "Berry, you and I need to split up on opposite ends of the park," she directed. "Either one of us needs to be prepared to separate the parasite from the chimera if it ends up close to us in a weakened state. Zakuro, we need your Zakuro Spear to get the chimera to stay near to the ground. Pudding, same goes for you. If either of you can trap the chimera close to the ground, Berry and I have a better shot at finishing it off for good."

The mews nodded. "Sounds good!" agreed Berry.

"Makes sense," Zakuro agreed.

"Wait, where should I go?" Lettuce asked, glancing between Ichigo and Berry.

"Stay close to me," Ichigo replied. "Pudding can come with us. Zakuro, you stay close to Berry and try to catch the chimera in your whip if it dives towards the ground near you."

Zakuro nodded. She began to walk backwards, motioning to Berry to follow her. Berry and Zakuro took off to the other end of the clearing in the park. Ichigo glanced skyward again, watching Tart, Pie and Mint circle the chimera overhead. She felt helpless in that moment, craning her neck and wishing the best for their teammates in the air.

"I wish we could do more than wait," Ichigo said, clenching her gloved fists.

Lettuce glanced over at her. "Don't worry, Ichigo — Pie and Tart know chimeras. They will know what to do."

Ichigo remembered seeing the green spot on the back of the chimera. She gasped, turning to Pudding and Lettuce, "Wait, I know the weak spot on the chimera! It has an exposed spot on its back that's bright green."

"That sounds really obvious!" Pudding remarked. "If you can't miss it, then Mint, Pie and Taru-Taru will find it no problem!"

Ichigo nodded, "You're right," she agreed.

"Ichigo!" came a voice from the trees behind the girls. Ichigo whirled around and saw Masaya running towards them. Her focus drifted from the battle, her heart softening as she turned to face her now-fiancé.

"Aoyama!" Ichigo exclaimed. "What are you doing? It's dangerous for you to be so close to us!"

Masaya leaned on his knees to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat off his brow and met Ichigo's concerned look with his own. "I had to make sure you were alright. I was so scared watching that monster throw you around like that."

Ichigo swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm okay!" she reassured Masaya with a wary smile. "I know the chimera's weakness – it's an exposed spot on its back. We'll have it back to normal in no time."

Masaya nodded, a bead of sweat trailing down the tan skin of his boyish face. He reached out to take one of Ichigo's gloved hands in his own. "Just promise you'll be safe, now that your team is here?"

Ichigo nodded reassuringly, squeezing Masaya's hand with her own. "Of course," she murmured. The fear hadn't left Masaya's eyes – he looked on at her, unnerved.

"Ichigo!" Lettuce shrieked from behind her. "Look out!"

Ichigo hardly had time to turn her head before she saw the glob of green acid hurtling towards her. She stumbled backwards, instinctually reaching out for Masaya. Time seemed to move in slow motion as she felt one of his arms wrap around her shoulders protectively. In the next instant, the air around her erupted in a flash of blue.

Ichigo gasped. The acid attack collided with something that looked like a glass pane, streaked with bright blue. Its round surface rose up over Ichigo's head, repelling the acid right before her eyes. The surface of the shield was beautifully strange, like the glass of an aquarium. Ichigo's eyes were wide as she saw Masaya's hand outstretched in front of her. His palm had a bizarre blue glow dancing between his fingers, swirling like the smoke of a candle just blown out.

Ichigo whirled around to face Masaya. She felt her jaw fall open further as she took in his appearance. He had transformed again – his raven-black hair reached to his knees. A long blue robe graced his shoulders, its rich fabric dancing in the wind as the impact of the attack caused a breeze to pass over them. He appeared to be in shock, his face frozen in surprise. His eyes seemed to stare right through Ichigo.

"A-Aoyama?" she gasped, searching his expression for a sign of consciousness. Masaya snapped out of his daze in the next instant. His rich brown eyes fell on Ichigo immediately, the warmth returning to his gaze.

"Ichigo," he breathed. He rushed to her, dropping the shield from around their bodies and wrapping Ichigo in his arms. Ichigo buried her face in the crook of his neck. She wrapped her arms around him, but was surprised to feel the fabric under her hands shift and change as he gripped her tighter to him.

"Aoyama, the transformation! It's reversing already," Ichigo exclaimed, stepping back from Masaya. His hair was back to be just shorter than his shoulders as she watched it seemingly grow in reverse. His clothing seemed to move on its own, colors fading and fabric shrinking until his appearance was back to normal. Masaya looked down at his clothes and ran a hand through his hair.

"I – it's still there. This power," he murmured. He looked down at his hands. Ichigo clenched her jaw as she heard the chimera shriek in the distance. The battle wasn't over yet.

"Ichigo, are you both okay?" Lettuce cried out, coming over to where Ichigo stood by Masaya. Lettuce's worried green eyes darted between her and Masaya. "That was incredible, what Aoyama just did."

"I – yes, we're fine," Ichigo said warily, placing a hand around Masaya. "Aoyama's power is weak, but it seems he can still use some of it."

Lettuce nodded thoughtfully. "I'm so glad you're okay," she sighed.

Ichigo nodded. She turned to Masaya. "Aoyama, you need to get to cover. It's not safe for you to be close to the mews. The chimera is aiming right for us."

Masaya, still in a slight daze, clenched his jaw. "I won't let you be in danger like that again," he said, placing both hands on her shoulders protectively. "Please promise me you won't be hurt."

Ichigo stared into his deep brown eyes with resolve. There was something strange, fearful in his gaze as he gripped her shoulders. It made Ichigo anxious, though she nodded reassuringly all the same.

"I'll be just fine!" she said confidently. Ichigo broke from Masaya's grip and took two steps back. She forced herself to smile as she summoned her strawberry bell once again. "You can count on it."

Masaya didn't look convinced. He tightened his jaw and clenched his fists as he watched Ichigo turn to go back to the battle. Ichigo could sense the fear clouding the air around her fiancé. She returned to where Pudding stood watching the sky.

Masaya didn't want her to battle anymore. She could sense it. Ichigo couldn't help but feel in awe of the return of his power. But something seemed strange about the way he looked at her after she left his side. She shook it out of her head as her eyes turned skyward.

"It's coming back around!" Pudding yelled, pointing. The girls all took a step back, readying their weapons. The chimera turned its beady red eyes in their direction. It let out another angry shriek.

"Pudding, try to use your Pudding Ring Inferno when it gets closer!" Ichigo instructed Pudding. "Aim for the wings!"

"You got it, big sis!" Pudding yelled. She twirled her rings in her palms and crouched at the ready. The chimera dove towards them at a frighteningly fast speed. Pudding sprung up from the ground, jumping high in the air with a twirl to meet the chimera as she called out her attack.

"Ribbon Pudding Ring INFERNO!"

A yellow mass erupted from her rings and flew towards the chimera's left wing. It caught on to the wing with a slap. The gelatinous substance clung to the beast with tenacity and threw it into a tailspin. The chimera let out a gargled cry as it struggled to gain altitude again. It tipped left and right, thrashing wildly to get rid of the sticky golden jelly.

"It worked!" Lettuce exclaimed in excitement. Ichigo clenched her fists and watched the chimera carefully. A flash of blue caught her eye – Mint was aiming her bow at the chimera's back. Ichigo saw her fire a pinkish attack right at the green spot Ichigo had noticed earlier. The attack struck with an explosion of pink light. The monster cried out in another gargled shriek, falling to the ground with a crash.

"Berry!" Ichigo shrieked across the park, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Go! Now!"

Berry wasted no time dashing up to the chimera, waving her attack over the weakened monster with ease. "Ribbon Loveberry Check!"

A white, soft light fell over the body of the chimera as the final separation of the parasite began to shrink its large form. The light grew smaller and smaller until only an old seagull remained. The bird picked itself up and shook out its feathers, losing a few in the process.

Ichigo looked back at Lettuce and Pudding with a grin on her face. "We did it!" she exclaimed to her teammates. Lettuce and Berry smiled in return, running up to Ichigo and tackling her in a group hug.

"All thanks to you, Pudding!" Lettuce exclaimed.

"Aw shucks, it's no biggie!" Pudding giggled. "Though that was pretty cool, huh? Mew Pudding is the hero today!"

Ichigo laughed, squeezing Pudding's shoulders a little tighter. She lifted her eyes just in time to see Masaya striding towards the group, smiling. His usual warmth had returned to his expression. Ichigo's heart felt full and warm as she smiled back at him. She broke from the embrace of her friends and dashed over to her fiancé.

"Aoyama!" she cried out in joy, throwing her arms around his shoulders. He enveloped her in a tight, comforting hug. "We did it!" she said into his shirt.

"You did it," Masaya murmured. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Ichigo broke from his embrace, beaming up at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Pudding beat her to the punch.

"Aoyama, what was with your crazy powers back there? It was so cool!"

Masaya laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "I guess I've still got some of the Blue Knight left in me, huh?"

Ichigo noticed how Masaya avoided mentioning Deep Blue when speaking about his powers. In reality, his transformation and use of his power was much more reminiscent of the ancient power of Deep Blue than it was of the Blue Knight. Ichigo had noticed the subtle differences, and she was sure that Masaya had too. But Masaya diverted the topic, continuing in a lighthearted tone as he spoke to Pudding. "You girls were fantastic. It was a great idea to use your attack to slow down the chimera."

"The Pudding Ring Inferno can't be stopped!" Pudding exclaimed in a voice mimicking a TV announcer, holding a fake microphone up to her chin. "The hero of the day is none other than Mew Pudding!"

Ichigo giggled as she glanced between Masaya and Pudding. Her fiancé laughed alongside her as Pudding continued her narration of the battle in dramatic fashion. But Ichigo could see something dull in his eyes – some sort of worry still lurking in his expression. Masaya looked up at her for a moment, still grinning from laughing along with the mews. Ichigo smiled at him, cocking her head to one side. He smiled back, but the smile fell short of its usual warmth.

Ichigo reached out a gloved hand and wrapped it around Masaya's waist reassuringly. He placed a hand around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. They had won this battle, but something was still concerning Masaya. Ichigo sighed as she instinctively glanced down at her left hand. The ring was gone, but that always happened when she transformed into Mew Ichigo. Her clothing and jewelry always returned when she transformed back to normal.

Ichigo closed her eyes and allowed herself to power down from her transformation, warm light covering her body as she felt the wildcat genes receding back into her chest. When she opened her eyes again, Lettuce and Pudding were following her lead, powering down into their normal selves.

Ichigo looked down at her left hand again. The ring was back, sparkling in the late afternoon sun with all of the brilliance she had remembered. When she looked up from her ring, Masaya was watching her quietly.

"It disappears when you're Mew Ichigo, doesn't it?" Masaya remarked, nodding to the ring. Ichigo held her hand out in front of her as they both observed its sparkle.

"Yeah, all of my normal clothing and jewelry go away when I transform," Ichigo said quietly. She turned her hand side to side, causing the gem to glint even more brilliantly. Masaya reached out and took her hand in his. He gave it a squeeze. Ichigo lifted her eyes to him curiously.

Something strange passed across his expression in that moment – something worried, something dark. Ichigo's smile fell slightly as she regarded the intensity in Masaya's eyes. He looked scared, almost terrified. He forced his lips into a smile and kissed the top of Ichigo's hand. "You worry me too much, Ichigo," he said softly. "You're my cat. I need you to be safe."

Ichigo breathed deeply, feeling conflicted about how to respond to Masaya. He had been through so much in only a matter of days. It was more than Ichigo could believe, more than she would ever expect from someone in her life. She had put him through everything under the sun. She felt a fresh swath of guilt swirling in her stomach as she opened and closed her mouth.

"I – I will," she murmured. She smiled up into his warm, chocolate brown eyes. Masaya nodded, a small smile returning to his face. The fear in his eyes seemed to pass. A familiarity returned to his expression, a comfort that Ichigo knew well.

"Now, weren't we supposed to be on an ice cream date?" he asked playfully. Ichigo, relieved that Masaya's mood was back to normal again, giggled.

"First the surprise proposal, then a chimera attack...!" she laughed.

"Well, let's get going then!" Masaya said, grinning. "Before anything else keeps us from our date." He took Ichigo's hand in his.

In that moment, the world felt balanced once again in Ichigo's mind. She sighed and allowed herself to steep in the comforting air around her and Masaya. In that moment, she felt happy and carefree – even if it was just for that instant. In that moment, she could forget.

* * *

"What do you want me to do, just _forget?!"_

Quiche's voice ripped through the echoey walls of the café basement in a thunderous roar. Ryou had him pinned by his shoulder against one of the concrete walls. Quiche clenched his fists until he felt like his nails would break skin. He felt unhinged, his mind raging uncontrolled as he pictured all of the ways he wanted to _hurt something._ Ryou grit his teeth, fixing Quiche with a furious stare.

"Quiche, listen to me! Nothing you do now is going to help," he said. Quiche felt a fresh pang of anger rip up his throat. He bore his teeth as Ryou continued. "Destroying my dishes certainly didn't help. And hurting Aoyama won't help either."

"He's better off dead and we both know it!" Quiche barked.

Ryou narrowed his eyes. "Aoyama is a teammate, not a threat," he said through clenched teeth.

"As long as Aoyama is alive, Deep Blue's power lives on," Quiche spat, glaring into Ryou's piercing blue eyes. "He is dangerous. I'm not stupid, Shirogane, and neither are you!"

"I know enough to tell you that's not entirely true," Ryou growled. His grip tightened on Quiche's shirt. "Your suspicions are no excuse when I know your issue with Aoyama is personal."

Quiche clenched his teeth, feeling his anger bubbling over like boiling water. He summoned his silver dagger at his side, feeling the cool sensation of the thin metal weapon against the hot sweat of his palm. He saw Ryou glance down briefly at the blade before returning to meet his eyes once more. A brief flash of fear passed across Ryou's features. _Good_ , Quiche thought as he twirled the blade in his hand.

"Care to explain what you mean by that? 'Personal'?" Quiche growled, raising one eyebrow in a challenge. Ryou released his shoulder from the wall and took a step back. Quiche's arm felt sore, like it would bruise. He rolled it back to stretch the muscle. It began to throb as he got feeling back in his arm.

"Put your weapon away, Quiche," Ryou instructed calmly, firmly. "You don't want to hurt me."

Quiche felt like he was being talked down to, like a child. He continued to twirl the dagger between his fingers, taking comfort in the familiar weight of the blade dancing in his grasp. "Don't be so sure of yourself," he muttered. "You've dressed all of the wolves in sheep's clothing, and now you're surprised when we bite back."

Quiche watched Ryou's expression carefully. The blond crossed his arms, but looked far from relaxed. Quiche reveled in the feeling of power, control. He clicked his tongue and cocked his head to one side. "Now tell me, how is my problem with Aoyama … _personal?_ "

"It's personal in the same way that you're not going to hurt me," Ryou muttered, "because she wouldn't forgive you for it."

Quiche clenched his jaw, scowling. He could picture it in his mind so easily — a visit to the local hospital, the café closed for a few days. Angry, watery brown eyes and the faint aroma of strawberry lip gloss mixed with salt.

Quiche waved his hand. The dagger disappeared in the air above his palm.

Ryou visibly relaxed. Quiche bared his teeth, annoyed. "Don't look so smug, blondie," he hissed.

"Not smug, just happy you'll at least listen to reason," Ryou muttered. He ran one hand through his hair. Sweat glistened on his forehead. "I'm grateful for everything you've done the past ten days. But I need you to keep your shit together or you're off the team."

Quiche narrowed his eyes. "Fine, kick me off the team. I might as well go home. It's not like I have anything left here anyway."

Ryou seemed surprised at his answer. He raised his eyebrows briefly, pausing to consider his words. Quiche lifted his arms to stretch them behind his head. He felt a slick liquid slide down one of his fingers – blood, likely from breaking the glass in the kitchen. He brought the hand to his face and observed the cut through narrowed eyes.

"Pie and Tart need you here for the mission," Ryou said firmly. "Leaving now would be cowardly."

Quiche licked the blood from his finger. The taste of iron and salt swept over his tastebuds. Ryou continued to glare at him with a mix of disgust and annoyance. Quiche chose his words carefully. "You don't want me here."

"'Want' and 'need' are two very different things," Ryou muttered. "I _want_ you to get the hell out of my café, seeing as you just threatened me with a knife. But I'm sorry to say I _need_ you to help us get the chimeras under control."

Quiche frowned, placing his hands on his hips. "Mm, that's too bad, then. I'm sure Pie and Tart will be able to make do without me." He turned and took two steps towards the staircase to leave.

"Quiche, don't," Ryou said firmly. "You need to stay here until you've calmed down." Quiche turned to look back at Ryou, lifting off the ground slightly to float just above the concrete floor. Ryou was talking down to him again. _Condescending prick._ Quiche swallowed his anger and stiffened his jaw. He raised his chin slightly.

"I don't answer to you anymore, Shirogane," Quiche hissed. "Consider me off the team. It doesn't matter anyway – the mews should be already at the battle by now."

Quiche paused as he felt an icy cold, throbbing sensation beginning to buzz behind his eyes. It flared like a fire, rushing across his head before disappearing entirely in a sudden snap. The familiar sensation sent a chill down Quiche's spine, a deep-seated fear that came from years of training. Years of terror.

"Interesting," Quiche murmured, staring blankly at the wall behind Ryou, "there's been a flare-up of Deep Blue's power. Just now."

"What?" Ryou barked, stiffening. "How do you know?"

Quiche's gaze snapped to Ryou again. "We can sense it. His power," he said.

Masaya had transformed again – _why?_ Quiche locked his jaw and tried to subdue the panic bubbling in his stomach. Masaya had only been able to transform when Ichigo was in extreme distress. What had happened over the past few minutes? Quiche felt the anger pulsing once more in his chest – this time, anger with himself. Anger that he wasn't there at the battle, and anger that he was still in the café basement, arguing with Ryou.

Quiche knocked his jaw back and forth. He scowled at the thought of Masaya's power becoming more active. The flickering light of a candle about to go out, brought to light by a gentle breath on the flame. "A few broken dishes are the least of your worries, Ryou Shirogane," he said finally. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

The corner of Ryou's mouth twitched. Quiche turned to leave again, starting up the stairs to the basement. He was nearly to the top of the steps when he heard Ryou's voice calling after him.

"Do you love her?"

Quiche stopped in his tracks. All at once, a familiar warm sensation danced across his skin as visions of perfect curves in a silky dress flooded his mind. He was touching the warm skin of her waist; a voice like a melody, laughing like he had always dreamed of. That night, everything had felt too good to be true. In that green dress, she had almost felt like his.

Quiche ducked his head lower to glare at Ryou.

"Go to hell."

Quiche stomped up the last few stairs of the café as Ryou yelled after him: "I'll see you there."


	14. Sundown

It was a quiet Sunday at Café Mew Mew, and Ichigo was just closing out her last two tables of the evening. She was already dreading school the next day, especially after missing classes Friday pretending to be sick. _Has it really only been two days?_ she thought to herself. She had been engaged to Masaya Aoyama for two whole days. She had been a _fiancée_ for a whole weekend. Ichigo sighed wistfully at the thought as she printed out one of her table's checks. It would be hard to keep the engagement a secret from her parents, especially since she had to be long-distance with Masaya for a little while longer.

_Then again, I've hid the secret that I'm a mew from them for what, five years?_ she thought. How much harder would an engagement be?

Ichigo had taken to wearing the diamond ring during her shifts at the café. Her parents didn't drop by often, and never stopped by unannounced. Ichigo couldn't pass up the opportunity to relish in the attention of the café patrons admiring her ring and offering congratulations. Ichigo adored the praise, and she adored gushing over Masaya.

Ichigo took a moment to glance down at the ring as she pulled the check out of the café printer. She tilted her hand until it caught the light of the kitchen fluorescents in its sparkling mass.

"Will you quit ogling over that rock and wrap up those two tables?"

Ichigo jumped in surprise at Ryou's voice just a few feet away. Arms crossed, he was glaring at her from the back hallway. Ichigo let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Geez, alright!" she snapped back at her boss. "I'm getting to it!" She began totaling up the second table's check at the register.

"When you're done, can you meet me in the office?" Ryou added. Ichigo stopped totaling the check and peered back at Ryou curiously. He observed her questioning look with cold blue eyes, one eyebrow raised. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble … yet."

"Fine," Ichigo agreed, turning her attention back to the register. "Give me five minutes."

Ryou turned and left wordlessly. Ichigo wondered to herself what he could want to see her for. She hoped it was good news about his chimera research. After the last couple of battles, Ichigo was beginning to grow paranoid whenever she walked anywhere alone or with Masaya. She cashed out her two tables in the café, then grabbed her bag and went to change in the café bathroom. Her street clothes were a simple cream shift dress and an oversized, mustard-colored cardigan – comfortable and perfect for layering in the volatile spring weather.

Ichigo slung her tote bag over her shoulder and made her way down to the basement office. Ryou sat at his usual desk, resting his head in one hand as he clicked through his laptop. The number of half-full coffees on his desk had grown to an impressive eight mugs.

Ichigo squinted into the dimly-lit desk space and crossed her arms awkwardly. "Ok Shirogane, so what do you want to talk to me about?"

Ryou glanced up at her, then took off his reading glasses. "Have a seat," he said simply. Ichigo furrowed her brow. It wasn't something Ryou usually asked her to do when she was in the café office. She pulled up a folding chair off to one side of the desk and sat in it, dropping her bag off to the side of her chair.

"How's the wedding planning going?" Ryou asked, raising one eyebrow. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Told your parents yet?"

Ichigo was taken aback by the question – Ryou didn't typically ask her about her personal life. She straightened her posture, flipping one lock of hair over her shoulder.

"Fine," Ichigo replied simply, confidently. "We're not telling our families until later in the summer, after I have a university picked out."

"Right," Ryou replied. "Something to do with your parents not being keen on the young engagement, I'd guess?"

Ichigo tilted her head to one side. "You could say that. Why do you ask?" She wanted to get to the root of why Ryou wanted to talk to her. The small talk about her engagement couldn't possibly be the only topic on her boss's mind.

Ryou rolled his neck lazily, cracking it in several places. Ichigo cringed at the sound. "Well," Ryou started, "I'm assuming you and Aoyama are planning on relocating to London, yes?"

"I mean," Ichigo started hesitantly, "that's the plan, why?"

Ryou exhaled through his nose. "Figured as much. I've been having some conversations with Pie, and we share some concern over how many chimeras have been showing up lately. It's lucky that the team has been able to get to you quickly the past few times … the chimeras seem to be springing up more often."

Ichigo nodded hesitantly. She could sense where the conversation was going.

"Long story short," Ryou continued, "Pie and I are both concerned for you two to move abroad. Though there are less parasites clustered in that part of the world, it wouldn't be unheard of for a chimera to show up in London, what with the strong energy still steeping around you and Aoyama. And if one does, we can't come to your rescue."

Ichigo scowled. The thought had definitely crossed her mind – moving abroad, away from her team, would certainly put her in a vulnerable position. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling herself fidget with her ring as she mulled over Ryou's words.

"It's especially dangerous because Aoyama's power is so weak," Ryou continued. "He means well to protect you to the best of his ability, like he did in the battle a few days ago, but you'll essentially have to carry yourself in a battle if he can't transform. Everyone – the mews, the aliens, Keiichiro and I – we're all worried for you two."

"I mean, I can't just stay here out of fear," Ichigo argued. Her voice sounded louder, more forceful than she had intended. "I have to live my life. I can't just ask Aoyama to quit his career and drop out of university to stay close to the mews."

"I know," Ryou replied simply, surprising Ichigo. "I know how stubborn you are, Momomiya. We obviously can't _make_ you do anything."

Ichigo knocked her jaw back and forth and stared down at her white tennis shoes. There had to be another way – something else she could do to protect herself. Something else she and Masaya could do to avoid the fear of a battle on any given day.

"How have things been with the research into the chimeras?" Ichigo prodded, meeting Ryou's eyes once more. "Have you found anything else since the magnetic field from a week ago?"

"It's hard to say," Ryou replied. He picked up a pen on his desk and began tapping it against a notepad absent-mindedly. "We've been measuring the power levels of Aoyama and trying to predict when another chimera attack will happen, but it's still so random. We've also been looking into the individual abilities of each chimera, to see if there's a pattern in what types are most likely to incubate once they come in contact with Aoyama's energy."

"And? Have you found anything?" Ichigo asked, leaning forward in her chair.

Ryou shrugged, sighing and raising his eyebrows. "We were making progress, but it's going to be slower now that … well, there's one other thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Ichigo tilted her head to one side curiously. Ryou ran a hand through his thick blonde hair as he shook his head.

"Quiche is leaving. Tomorrow morning," he said. He tossed the pen he was fidgeting with on the desk with a clatter.

Ichigo's eyes widened. She didn't know how to react at first; whether to be glad or upset. Collecting herself momentarily, she asked: "Wait, why does that hurt your progress? Isn't Pie the brains of their operation?"

"Sort of, but it's more complicated than that," Ryou said gruffly, appearing frustrated at the mere topic. "As much as it pains me to say it, Quiche is somewhat of a prodigy. From what Pie tells me, it will be very, very hard to catalogue the exact properties of the chimeras in the way Quiche understands them. Apparently he is one of the best chimera summoners of their time."

Ryou rolled his eyes, scratching behind his ear. "Beats me how so much talent is wasted on a young, idiot kid like that, but I have to agree. Not to mention he is the only one of the three that can use electric and plant abilities as well as his chimera summoning ... he has been integral to defending the city over the past week, so it's a shame he's decided to throw a tantrum when it matters the most."

Ichigo clenched her jaw. She was beginning to read between the lines – it was obvious what Ryou was implying. Ryou glanced down at Ichigo's hand. She was spinning her engagement ring around her finger idly.

"I don't think any of us can convince him to stay, with that thing on your finger," Ryou added, nodding towards Ichigo's ring. She snatched her hand up to her chest defensively, feeling a blush blooming on her cheeks. Ryou was right, she knew. But Ichigo was unaccustomed to talking about something so personal with her boss, something she hadn't even addressed fully with her friends.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo spat back, glaring at Ryou. "It's none of your business!"

"It's obvious to everyone, Momomiya," Ryou remarked. He folded his hands behind his head. "Trust me, I'd rather not be talking about this with you either, but if anyone is going to talk Quiche into staying, it's you. Pie and Tart haven't even been able to get him to come downstairs in two days."

"What am I going to say?" Ichigo replied defensively. She threw her hands in the air, rolling her eyes in frustration. "'Sorry about being engaged; wanna stick around and help research how I can safely move to London with the guy who punched you in the face on Friday?'"

"Hell if I know, Momomiya," Ryou sighed. "But I want you to at least _try._ "

Ichigo grit her teeth. Ryou was right. She hadn't had to make much of an effort to avoid Quiche over the last few days, but if there was a time to confront him, it was now. She needed the safety of knowing she wouldn't be attacked by a chimera at any odd hour of the day. Plus, with Quiche leaving, the mews could no longer rely on Quiche's ability to hear Ichigo's voice when she was in danger. It would take longer for the mews to get to her – if she was still on the same continent as them.

"Fine," Ichigo agreed reluctantly. "I'm done with my shift, so I'll see if I can go talk to him now. No promises."

"Understandable," Ryou replied. He raised one eyebrow, crossing his arms again. "Don't do anything stupid."

Ichigo frowned at the odd comment. She stood up and straightened out her skirt, then picked up her bag. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ryou shrugged. "Nothing in particular. Good luck."

Ichigo shot him a dirty look before turning on her heel and tromping up the stairs of the basement. She hadn't a clue how she was going to talk to Quiche. She would almost rather he disappear entirely, so she could put him out of her mind for good. Ichigo had been doing such a good job of keeping her complicated feelings towards Quiche buried deep in the back of her subconsciousness over the past few days. She would hate to ruin it now, when things had gotten to such a good place with Masaya.

Ichigo spotted a tall figure disappearing to the broom closet as she reached the top of the stairs. Pie exited the closet in the next second, holding a broom and dustpan.

"Hey, Pie –" Ichigo started, catching his attention. Pie appeared a bit startled; he flinched slightly before turning around to face Ichigo. His face was stoic as always. He raised one inquisitive eyebrow.

"Yes, Momomiya?"

"I, uh…" Ichigo started awkwardly, fidgeting with her ring again, "I wanted to talk to Quiche, but I don't know which room is his."

She paused to gauge Pie's reaction. Per usual, he had none, his face remaining stone-cold and devoid of emotion. Ichigo continued hesitantly, "...can you tell me which room he's staying in?"

Pie's grey eyes flicked briefly from Ichigo's worried gaze down to her engagement ring, then back up to her face. Ichigo didn't miss the subtle glance, suddenly feeling more nervous.

"You won't find him in his room around this time," Pie replied finally. "He likes to sit outside around sundown … on the roof."

Ichigo bit her lip and nodded, grateful for the piece of information. "Thank you," she murmured quickly, forcing a small smile. She walked around Pie and stole up the stairs to the upstairs hall of the café's spare rooms. Ichigo could feel Pie's eyes on her as she went.

Ichigo hadn't used the stairs to the roof in several months. They usually only used the roof for extra storage, and to check the air conditioning unit. She crossed the hallway and opened the door at the very end. Narrow concrete steps gave way to the dim light of the sky outside. Ichigo sighed, mustering the courage to begin her ascent up the stairs.

It was just sundown, the golden light of a warm spring sun just beginning to dip behind the horizon. It was breezy at the top of the café, and the roof gave a perfect vantage point to the crowded suburb of Tokyo that Ichigo called home. When she was almost to the top of the stairs, Ichigo slung her tote bag over the top of the stairs with a thud. She had just reached the last three steps when she heard a voice.

"I swear to god, Tart, if you come up here one more time I will throw you off of this godforsaken building—"

Ichigo whipped around just in time to see Quiche's look of surprise as he glanced over his shoulder. He was sitting on the edge of the roof behind the stairs, wearing a sleeveless black shirt and sweatpants. He looked tired; his hair was tousled, and he looked more pale than his usual porcelain complexion. He had a purple-colored splotch of skin just under his left eye — undoubtedly from the fight just a few days ago. Ichigo breathed in sharply as their eyes met. His gold irises were breathtakingly bright in the light of the setting sun. All of the complicated feelings Ichigo had buried deep in her mind suddenly came rushing to the surface. She wondered if Quiche felt it, too — she opened and closed her mouth, searching for what to say.

Something changed in Quiche's gaze in the next moment. His eyes seemed to gloss over. "Hey, kitten," he muttered, turning back to face the setting sun. Ichigo frowned. His guard had gone up. She climbed the remaining three stairs and came to stand on the roof.

"Shirogane just told me you're leaving tomorrow," Ichigo started hesitantly. She walked over to where Quiche was sitting on the ledge of the roof. The ledge was about waist height on Ichigo. She stood resting her elbows on its warm concrete, staring out into the setting sun. She glanced up at Quiche. He appeared stoic, focusing intently on ignoring her. Ichigo couldn't help but feel annoyed. "So you're just giving up like that?"

"Giving up on what?" Quiche fired back, an edge to his tone. "Pie, Tart and the rest of you can figure out the chimeras yourselves. You don't need me anymore."

"That's not what Shirogane told me," Ichigo replied. "He says you're some sort of prodigy. With the chimeras, that is."

When Ichigo looked up at Quiche, he wore a humorless smirk. "Hm, a rare compliment from the boss," he remarked. Quiche clicked his tongue. "Nah, you'll all be okay without me. You've all made it pretty clear that I'm not wanted here."

Ichigo scowled, frustrated with Quiche's callousness, and angry that he hadn't even bothered to apologize for spilling her secrets to Masaya just days before. "Well sorry we didn't all hug it out when you decided to pick a fight with my fiancé!"

"Yeah, well I didn't sign up to get decked in the face by some twat carrying a box around in his pants for a week because he's too chicken-shit to commit."

Ichigo froze, eyes wide _. A week? How did he know that?_ She leaned further over the side of the ledge to try to catch Quiche's eye. "Wait, what? You knew he had the ring this whole time? How?!"

Quiche finally made eye contact with Ichigo again. He looked positively furious. "Of course I did! Why else do you think I've been starting fights with Aoyama every time I see you two together? Your friend Mint tipped me off to him carrying it around the day we fought that rat chimera, and he's had it on him ever since. I was hoping if I kept ruining your dates he would just give up on asking you before he left again, but obviously that didn't work out."

Ichigo blinked, startled. Mint had noticed Masaya carrying the ring box around? And she had told Quiche? Why? Ichigo knew they had a strange friendship, but she was shocked to know that Mint was going behind her back and talking to Quiche. What did she have to gain from telling him? What did Mint know — or suspect — that she didn't?

"I didn't even know the significance of the stupid thing until Mint explained it to me," Quiche continued in a huff. "Your human traditions are idiotic."

"Well it doesn't matter now," Ichigo muttered, still trying to digest this new information. She brushed her bangs out of her face with one hand. "Aoyama and I are engaged, so I'd really appreciate it if you could get over not getting what you want for once."

Her words felt harsh, even as they left her tongue. Ichigo immediately felt guilty as soon as she said it. The air around them soured. Ichigo watched Quiche swing one leg over the ledge of the roof and hop off.

"Whatever, I'm done here," he muttered under his breath. He turned and started to walk away. Ichigo opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Quickly, without thinking, she turned around and grabbed Quiche's wrist to stop him.

His skin was cold, like he had been outside for awhile. It reminded Ichigo of the night of their kiss a little over a week ago, when she noticed how frigid his hands were. Ichigo couldn't ignore the jolting feeling of her heart leaping in her chest when they touched. Quiche turned to look back at her. The anger was gone from his face, replaced with a complicated expression Ichigo found hard to place. He glanced down briefly at Ichigo's grip on his wrist — and that was when Ichigo realized she had caught his wrist with her left hand. Quiche glared down at the ring on her finger before letting out a breath of air through his nose.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo finally managed to say. "Please stay. I want to talk."

Quiche glanced back up at Ichigo. His visage was guarded again. "Fine," he agreed reluctantly. Ichigo let go of his wrist, and Quiche returned to the ledge of the roof. He folded his arms on the concrete and stared out into the pinkish sky, saying nothing. Ichigo bit the inside of her cheek.

"Look, I know … I know you have this _thing_ for me," Ichigo started hesitantly. She saw Quiche recoil next to her, slumping his shoulders. She struggled to find the correct words, doing her best to stomp down the burning in her chest she had ignored so well over the past few days; to silence the voice screaming in her head: _you're messing it all up!_ "I think it's best if we just … move past it. You know?"

Quiche let out a humorless snort of laughter. "Really, kitten? _Move past it?_ Is that all you got?"

Ichigo scowled, feeling embarrassed at her lack of eloquence. "I don't know! All I know is that Aoyama is in love with me, and that's all that matters to me."

"What, you think I'm not?"

Ichigo froze, her breath suddenly catching in her throat. She couldn't fully process what Quiche was saying. Was he telling her that he loved her?

"I… what?" she murmured quietly. "But—"

"But _what_?" Quiche replied, louder this time. He finally looked over at Ichigo. She swallowed hard, feeling small under his intense gaze. "It's not some secret. It's not like I haven't told you."

"Over a year ago!" Ichigo said defensively. Her mind was whirring at a million miles a minute. She didn't have time to think before she heard the words leave her lips. It had been over a year since Quiche's emotional confession during the awakening of Deep Blue. The painful memory began to replay in Ichigo's head as she struggled with what to say.

"It wasn't that long ago, Ichigo," Quiche muttered, glaring out at the horizon line once more. Ichigo was fascinated with the way her name sounded in his voice at that moment — not "kitten" or one of his other nicknames for her — _Ichigo_. The way he said her name— all breath and in a low, murmured tone — made Ichigo's stomach do a backflip. She bit her lip and tried to focus.

"I just—" she stared hesitantly, "—I just thought you'd forget about it after you left. After that last battle with Deep Blue."

"Really? Forget about it? After _that_?" Quiche bit back. Ichigo watched as his eyes narrowed, still focused intently on the setting sun. "In case you don't remember, that was the day I died. The day I died trying to kill the deity of my people – the supposed last hope of my race – trying to protect you."

Ichigo could hear her heartbeat thrumming in her ears as he continued, "I tried to _kill my god_ to save you. It went against everything I knew, everything I had been fighting for. But none of it mattered to me then. I was chosen as Deep Blue's loyal servant to lead the rest of our race to victory over Earth. After years of fighting, in the end, I threw it all away. All of it. I was the prophet who turned against his god. All because I was stupidly in love with the one human girl I was supposed to have killed."

Quiche's gaze snapped to Ichigo. She inhaled sharply as she saw how intense his look was in that moment, like every feeling of passion, anger and frustration was suddenly bubbling to the surface. "So yes, Ichigo — I was in love with you then and I'm still in love with you now. But obviously that doesn't matter anymore, so you can consider this our last conversation. _Forget about it._ Your words, not mine."

Ichigo felt frozen in place as Quiche turned to leave, breaking eye contact with Ichigo and walking back towards the stairs. She didn't go after him this time. Her wide, brown eyes watched the sun slip behind the horizon, disappearing in a thin, bright flash of gold.

It felt like there was a wild animal let loose in Ichigo's body; a burning, uncontrollable sensation roaring in her lungs. Ichigo had a knot in her stomach, a feeling in her throat that told her _this is all wrong_. This time, she didn't fight the feelings quickly flooding every corner of her thoughts. She found herself quickly returning to how she felt when trying to describe her feelings for Quiche just a few days ago.

_What was a flutter in her stomach, really?_ she had asked herself. _What was a feeling in her fingertips when he touched her?_ But now, she realized it was far, far deeper than she had ever allowed herself to realize.

Quiche had just confirmed something for Ichigo that she had always known, but not fully acknowledged: her and Quiche were two sides of the same coin. Both gifted youth thrust into a years-long battle for the things they believed in, with the objective to lead their teams to save their people. The only difference was in the mission they were tasked with. Ichigo was the lucky one – surrounded by family and friends supporting her in her defense of the Earth. But Quiche was shouldered with an impossible task: conquer this planet, or everyone back home suffers.

And in the end, when it mattered the most, he had abandoned all of it entirely. All of his training, all of his values, his people and his god. All because he loved her.

The flutter in Ichigo's stomach was turning into a raging fire.

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled suddenly, snapping out of her daze. She whirled around and ran after him.

"Wait," she repeated breathlessly, turning to stand in front of Quiche and pushing a hand against his chest to stop him. Quiche looked down at her in confusion. Ichigo felt his heartbeat thrum against her palm.

Her brain screamed at her that this was dangerous. But she knew she had to find an answer for the burning in her chest. She felt like a rubber band stretched tight; like her whole body was pulled taught and waiting for a release. She found herself struggling to articulate her thoughts as she lifted her gaze to meet Quiche's perplexed eyes.

"I don't … I don't know what this is, and I don't know if I understand what you feel..." she started hesitantly, her voice barely a murmur. She searched Quiche's gaze for a reaction as she pieced her thoughts together, "...but you can't leave now. I want to know. I need to know."

Ichigo felt like she had fallen into a daze, as if the part of her brain that had been suppressed for so long was suddenly controlling her body of its own accord. She kept repeating her words to herself in her mind: _I need to know_. She needed to know what it was between her and Quiche that caused the stirring in her stomach and the whirlpool of emotion she had lost herself in. She needed to know what that unexplored _something_ was. Quiche had told her that he still loved her – and she desperately wanted to know what she felt in return.

She lifted her other hand to gently place it on Quiche's chest, then slid both hands up so that her arms hung loosely around his shoulders. The movement seemed to snap Quiche out of his shocked stiffness. Ichigo felt his hands rest on her hips loosely, cautiously. He looked at her like she was the moon and the stars.

Ichigo took a deep breath, stood on her toes, and kissed him.

If their kiss in the café kitchen was a spark, this was a whole fireworks show. Quiche immediately leaned into Ichigo with urgency, gripping her hips and tilting his head to the side to deepen the kiss. Ichigo felt like every part of her body was collectively sighing in relief — like she was scratching an itch all throughout her senses. The familiar feeling of an electric energy surged in her stomach. She inadvertently sighed into his lips.

This seemed to trigger something in Quiche. In one fluid motion, he pulled away from Ichigo, stooped down just slightly and picked her up by the back of her thighs, placing her on his hips. Ichigo gasped in surprise as her legs quickly wrapped around his waist. Quiche continued kissing her neck in deep, hungry kisses; Ichigo realized he was walking to the ledge of the roof. He lifted Ichigo onto the ledge, then resumed kissing her lips with a renewed fervor, his hips now between her legs. He gripped her thighs in his hands, running them up and down the bare skin just below her skirt.

Ichigo felt dizzy, like she might faint. She had never been kissed like this before — and the intensity of the kiss was growing by the second.

"Quiche I—" she murmured into his lips. She finally caught his face in her hands, pulling away and leaning back further to look into his eyes. In dusk's dim light, his gold eyes seemed to almost glow; something wild danced behind his irises as he caught his breath. Ichigo glanced behind her briefly, looking down. She realized they were in plain sight from the ground. Flinching, she arched her back, grabbed Quiche's shirt and moved closer to him as she scanned the park for onlookers. "Someone is going to see us!"

Ichigo gasped as Quiche turned her chin towards him sharply with one hand. "Does it look like I care about that right now?" he murmured, his voice throaty and slightly hoarse. Ichigo swallowed hard, trying to maintain her composure. Her body felt like it was on fire.

"But what if—" Ichigo started, but Quiche cut her off with another passionate, urgent kiss. The electric feeling in Ichigo's stomach surged and she found herself melting into him again. She felt his hands travel up her thighs, up over her dress and onto her lower back and hips. He pulled her sharply towards him so that his hips were further between her legs. Ichigo broke out of the kiss suddenly, startled. She leaned back on her hands and caught her breath.

Ichigo watched Quiche's eyes travel up and down her body quickly before meeting her bewildered gaze once more. Ichigo swallowed, trying to hold herself together long enough to catch her breath.

All at once, Ichigo began to wrap her mind around what she had just done. She replayed her conversation with Quiche over in her mind, her jaw going slack as she turned her head to look at her left hand on the ledge of the roof.

The engagement ring sat twinkling on her finger, still holding its brilliant sparkle in the dim light of dusk.

When Ichigo looked back up at Quiche, he was wearing the devilish smirk Ichigo had come to know so well. The purple bruise under his left eye only further served to remind Ichigo of her precarious situation. She began to grasp the enormity of what she had just done. The burning in her chest reminded her of the lit flame dancing in her, and she knew she couldn't ignore her complicated feelings any longer. Not after this.

Quiche narrowed his eyes as he studied her expression.

"You're in trouble now, kitten."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, buckle up, everyone – it's about to get real messy from here on out, lol. We are a little over halfway through the fic, with lots still to come!
> 
> This was a tricky chapter to write without throwing Ichigo totally out of character, so hopefully I did an alright job. I've been revising this chapter for about 2 months now, mostly because this chapter and the next one are both super pivotal to the rest of the fic, and I wanted them to be just right. I think a few of you were waiting for a ~spicy~ scene like this, so I hope it was worth the 14-chapter wait. :)
> 
> Please leave a comment on the chapter and let me know what you thought. Thanks so much for all of the love on the past couple chapters – you are all wonderful and so encouraging!


	15. Strawberry Lip Gloss

" _You're in trouble now, kitten."_

Ichigo felt like her heart was beating in her throat. She could hear the sound of her blood pumping through her ears as she caught her breath. The breeze swept through the hair on her … tail? Ichigo realized in that moment that her cat ears and tail had both made an appearance in the heat of the moment. She flexed her cat ears so that they flattened against her head.

"Cat got your tongue?" Quiche teased in a low voice. Ichigo felt his thumb gently stroking her hip bone – and that's when she realized Quiche still had his hands all over her.

"Shut up!" Ichigo hissed, scrunching her nose and scowling. She abruptly shoved Quiche's chest with both hands. He took a step back, and Ichigo jumped off the ledge he had placed her on just minutes before. She dusted her dress off haughtily, still struggling to sift through the chaotic whirlwind of emotion circling her head. "This is all your fault!" Ichigo moaned. She began to pace the length of the rooftop, rubbing the sides of her face with her hands.

"What is?" Quiche asked innocently. He stretched his arms over his head and followed Ichigo with his eyes as she paced back and forth.

"Don't play stupid!" Ichigo snapped at him, glaring down at her feet. She was rubbing her temples with her fingertips to ease the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. "As if I wasn't confused before! As if I wasn't already questioning _literally everything!_ How the heck am I supposed to sort through this mess _now?!_ "

Ichigo saw Quiche raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Hang on there, kitten," he interjected, "when you say you were ' _confused before'_ …"

Ichigo scowled at him in frustration. Her words were loud and reckless. "Oh, don't try to play dumb about that either!" she exclaimed. "You _knew_ what you were doing to me!"

Quiche opened and closed his mouth. He cocked his head to the side, watching her curiously. "Fair," he said, "but all I did was light a match. You're the one who just poured gasoline on the flame."

Ichigo grit her teeth. "Cut it out with the riddles already," she snapped, stopping her pacing to point an angry finger at Quiche. "You're the one who's been ruining my relationship for the past two weeks!"

Quiche clicked his tongue. "In case you forgot," he drawled, his eyes flicking from Ichigo's eyes to her lips, "you're the one who kissed me just now."

Ichigo let out a groan of frustration and spun in a circle. She pulled on her cat ears with both hands. Quiche was right – she was no longer blameless in their complicated relationship. Ichigo knew she could no longer shove her feelings about Quiche under a rug. And Masaya was unlikely to give her yet another chance.

_Oh no. Masaya._

Ichigo heaved a deep breath of the crisp night air. She felt almost sick to her stomach. She crossed her arms and cast her gaze to the purple-tinted horizon. She couldn't even picture what Masaya would do if she had to tell him what had just happened. "Masaya is going to freak out," she muttered under her breath.

Ichigo was in a daze as she began to run through every scenario in her head – every way Masaya could scathingly, painfully break up with her. Would he tell her how much of a bad girlfriend she was? Call her a liar? Tell her about how much she had wronged him? Ichigo was too busy picturing Masaya throwing her engagement ring in the Sumida river to notice Quiche walking up behind her. She gasped when she felt one arm snake around her waist, and the other across her shoulders. His breath was warm, tickling the fine hairs on the side of her face as he murmured in her ear: "Don't worry kitten, this time I promise not to kiss and tell."

Ichigo felt like she was melting back into him again. Her better judgement found itself drowned out once more by the warm, fiery sensation in the pit of her stomach. She inhaled sharply, intending to tell him to let go, but her breath caught in her throat when she felt his lips on the side of her neck.

Ichigo felt dizzy; her cat features were already triggered. She began to feel a familiar sensation of a transformation extending from her chest out to the tips of her fingers.

_No, no, no,_ she thought frantically, _I haven't turned into a cat in months! Stay calm!_

It was no use — Ichigo helplessly felt her body shrink as she was enveloped in a warm, pinkish light. She could barely make out the feeling of Quiche's hands grasping for her body as she felt herself growing smaller and smaller.

Finally, Ichigo felt the warmth fade from her chest. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into Quiche's shocked expression. He was holding her by her middle, at eye level, looking about as bewildered as Ichigo had ever seen. She realized that he had no idea about her turning into a cat when she got too flustered.

"Uhh, kitten?" Quiche started hesitantly, searching Ichigo's feline eyes, "...why are you an actual kitten?"

Ichigo squirmed in his grip. As funny as it was to see Quiche in a state of confusion, she knew what she had to do to get herself back to normal. In one swift movement, she used her front paws to leap forward out of Quiche's grasp and towards his face. Her mouth connected with his lips as Quiche stumbled back in surprise. Ichigo felt the transformation reversing almost immediately — but she was already falling. Once she got feeling in one of her hands, Ichigo caught on to Quiche shirt. She yelped as she fell towards him suddenly and they both went tumbling to the ground.

Ichigo shook the starry daze out of her eyes after her transformation back into a human. She realized she was sitting on Quiche's lap. He was leaning back on his elbows — their faces were less than a foot apart as Ichigo came to her senses.

Ichigo found herself getting lost in Quiche's eyes again as they both caught their breath. She relished the rhythm of their breathing falling in sync, with the distant sounds of the city humming in the background. The air felt still, quiet around them, when it has been so heated and loud just minutes before. The way Quiche searched Ichigo's expression made her feel simultaneously shy and captivated. He looked at her like she was everything, like he had waited his whole life to be in that moment with her. Those few seconds of time felt precious, volatile.

Ichigo didn't even recognize that she was speaking until the words were coming from her mouth. "So you'll stay?" she murmured quietly.

She watched Quiche swallow as his eyes flicked back and forth between hers. "For you, anything," he murmured. His tone was reverent, the flirtatious edge to his voice long gone. They stayed immersed in the heavy silence for a beat more.

Ichigo wasn't sure why she had suddenly asked him to stay, but she was glad she did. She was hesitant to shatter the mood; to disturb the uncharacteristically serious air hanging heavy around them. She tilted her head to one side and instinctually lifted a hand to gingerly touch the skin under Quiche's left eye, where Masaya's fist had left a splotchy, angry mark. Quiche winced, but quickly hid it under a smirk.

"I'm lucky my nose isn't broken," he muttered, sensing Ichigo's concern with his bruised face. "Or my neck snapped from you jumping on me. Since when do you turn into an actual kitten?"

Ichigo grimaced, laughing nervously. "Uh, I've always kinda been able to do it since I became a mew," she murmured, "though I can't really control it."

"So, why just now?" Quiche asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, mm…" Ichigo started nervously, averting her eyes. She always found it hard to describe the exact circumstances behind her transformation into a cat. It was more complicated than just feelings of love or a kiss. "I suppose it's just … when I get really overwhelmed? But like … usually I'm with Aoyama when it happens…" she said, trailing off. The topic was awkward, hard to describe to Quiche, who would so easily twist her words.

Quiche appeared to connect the dots in his head. A look of understanding passed over his features. He grinned. "Mm, okay, so it happens when you're turned on."

Ichigo immediately felt her face grow hot. Quiche was not wrong, but she was embarrassed to admit it. Realizing she was still on Quiche's lap, she jumped up and smoothed the front of her dress haughtily, "D-don't say it like that!" She crossed her arms and averted her eyes, scowling.

Quiche stood up and dusted off his hands nonchalantly. "Well this is an interesting turn of events," he remarked. Ichigo flinched as she felt the tips of his fingers under her chin. He tilted her head up towards him. His expression was playful, curious. "Wanna try it again?"

Ichigo batted his hand away with the back of her wrist, letting out a frustrated sigh. "You're such a pest," she groaned, turning and beginning to pace the rooftop again. "My life might as well be over and you can't even take me seriously."

"If you'd like, I can make it easy for you," Quiche called after Ichigo, who had crossed to the other side of the roof as she paced. "Give me that stupid ring and I can throw it somewhere you'll never find it."

Ichigo groaned. "That's not the point!" she said. "Masaya leaves for London the day after tomorrow!"

Quiche blinked under Ichigo's glare. "How long does it take to call him and dump him? Five minutes? Ten?"

"It's not that simple and you know it," Ichigo growled in frustration. "I can't just _leave_!"

"You can't just _stay_ either," Quiche countered. He crossed his arms. "You're backed into a corner now, kitten. I'm many things but I'm not a liar. I mean it when I say I'll keep my mouth shut. But if Aoyama tries to break my nose again, I'm going to kick his ass for real this time."

"Keep your mouth shut and he won't!" Ichigo argued, clenching her fists.

"Tell him the truth and he will," Quiche said. "And I can't promise you I won't snap his arm if he tries."

Ichigo let out a huff of frustration. Quiche was right. It was her move, and she needed to take action when it came to her relationship with Masaya. It felt like she was back to square one – back to hiding things from Masaya – except now, the stakes were even higher. How could she possibly move forward from this? How could she tell him what had just happened without losing him?

She glanced up at the dark, purplish sky and realized that she had no idea what time it was. She didn't have the faintest idea how long they had been up on the roof. Ichigo blew her bangs out of her face and stomped over to where she had tossed her tote bag.

"I need to head home," she muttered. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'm already late. My parents are probably freaking out."

"I'll take you there," Quiche offered, extending a hand as an invitation. Ichigo realized he meant teleporting. She glanced from his hand to his playful expression. She frowned. She wasn't sure of the time, but she knew it was late. She could lessen the wrath of her parents by saving herself the fifteen minutes it usually took to walk back home from the café, so she was not in a position to reject Quiche's offer. She noted curiously that Quiche still remembered where she lived, but decided to not read too far into it. At least, not tonight.

"Fine," Ichigo agreed reluctantly. "But make sure we land somewhere outside my house so I can walk in like normal. And it has to be somewhere people won't see us."

"Done and done," Quiche agreed. Ichigo nodded, satisfied, and slipped her hand into his. Quiche pulled her towards him and wrapped his arm around her waist. She realized in that moment that it felt like dancing.

She closed her eyes as she felt the ground disappearing from beneath her feet. A rushing wind whipped through her hair; her stomach dropped at the feeling of falling suddenly. Then, she felt the ground beneath her toes again.

The air was still around them, with only a faint sound of cars passing through the highway nearby. Ichigo opened her eyes and recognized that Quiche had teleported them to a narrow alleyway just a block or so from her house, between an apartment building and a corner store. It was dark, a dim street light illuminating the sidewalk just to her left. Ichigo let out a deep breath, then stepped back from Quiche. His hand around her waist traveled down her arm instead, coming to rest in her other hand so that both of her hands were in his.

Ichigo let him hold her hands for half a second before she snatched them back, holding them up to her chest. In that strange, still moment, Ichigo suddenly felt sad. It was the same sadness of leaving a place knowing you'd never return, like locking the door to an old house, or leaving a classroom for the last time. When she looked up at Quiche, she knew he felt it too. Nothing would be the same after that night. Something had to give.

"I'll walk you the rest of the way," Quiche offered, jerking his head in the direction of the sidewalk. Ichigo shook her head.

"I – it's okay. I should go." She didn't know why she was suddenly so shy around him. She took two steps backwards before turning and beginning to walk towards the light of the streetlight.

Once she reached the sidewalk, Ichigo only got a few steps down the walkway before she turned around. She saw Quiche watching her from the corner of the alleyway. She tried not to appear surprised. He leaned up against the side of the building nonchalantly, hands in his pockets. It was hard to ignore the striking way the dim light of the streetlight illuminated the shimmering gold in his eyes, fixed intently on her.

"Goodnight, Ichigo," Quiche called after her as she caught his eye. The way he said her name made her stomach jump. "Thanks for the kiss."

The air around Quiche shimmered and grew distorted. His silhouette disappeared into the night air. Ichigo's mind was spinning as she remembered how he had referenced some of his first words to her — "thanks for the kiss" — after their dance a few nights ago. He had done it again, just now. She touched her fingers to her lips and wondered what she should do now.

The night felt like a balloon bursting from too much air; like a cap popping off a shaken soda bottle. Everything that had been contained for so long had just come rushing to the surface in a few explosive minutes. Ichigo wasn't sure if there was even a way back, a way to extinguish the burning in her chest. After all, she couldn't force the soda back in the shaken bottle, and she couldn't rewind time back to before Quiche told her he was still in love with her.

After removing her engagement ring to hide it from her parents, Ichigo seemed to drift the rest of the way to her house in a daze. She hardly registered the conversation with her mom as she slipped her shoes off in the entryway of her home. It wasn't until she was upstairs in her bedroom, collapsed on the fluffy, pale pink sheets of her comforter, that she realized she was really, truly backed into a corner. And Masaya only had two days left in Tokyo. She pulled the diamond ring out of her cardigan pocket and tilted it so that it caught the soft light of her bedside lamp.

Ichigo turned over onto her stomach, buried her face in her pillow and screamed.

* * *

Quiche watched Ichigo stand and stare at the spot where he had just been. He sat, legs crossed, floating just twenty yards above where he had stood moments before – high enough that Ichigo couldn't see that he was still watching her. He saw her lift a hand to her lips before turning and walking back to her house. It took every fiber of restraint not to snatch her up again, just to get a few extra minutes with her in that white dress, with lips that tasted like strawberries and broken promises. As soon as Ichigo was inside her house, Quiche disappeared from the air above the suburban street and reappeared in his room in the upstairs quarters of the café, collapsing on his bed with a long, heavy breath.

He ran one hand through his hair and tried to focus on his breathing, staring emptily at the ceiling of the room. How was the last hour even _real?_ Quiche could scarcely believe he hadn't dreamt the whole night. After all, how many times had he visualized kissing her like that? How many times had he pictured holding her body against him, her hands on his chest? His breath caught in his throat as he recalled the feeling of gripping the soft, warm skin of her thighs. The sheer bliss of kissing her neck; her sweet, intoxicating smell clouding his senses.

When she sighed into his lips, he felt like he had reached nirvana.

_God, I need a cold shower._

Quiche swung his legs over the side of the bed and drifted to the door. He was halfway down the hall to the shared bathroom when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Are you packed for the morning?"

It was Pie. Quiche turned to see him leaning against the doorframe of his room. He was still in the white dress shirt and black pants of his café uniform. Pie's expression was unreadable per usual, much to Quiche's annoyance. He struggled with what to say to his friend while trying to set aside the burning feeling all over his body and memories of his hands running up and down Ichigo's perfect legs.

"I changed my mind," Quiche finally managed. He stopped and leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom nonchalantly. He picked at his nails – a nervous tic he had developed to relieve stress during difficult conversations.

"Is that so?" Pie said coolly. Quiche lifted his eyes to Pie as he continued. "Why is that?"

Quiche did his best to appear casual, shrugging a little too hard. "Figured it'd be hard on you all if I left now." He paused briefly before forcing a grin across his face. "I know you'd miss me too much."

Pie didn't look convinced. He raised one eyebrow and said nothing for a beat. Pie had spent the past two days arguing with Quiche about why he needed him there, on Earth. Quiche knew the sudden change of mind would likely seem to come out of left field, but he hoped that Pie would be happy with his decision all the same. After all, he had gotten his way.

"I see," Pie said finally. "Interesting, considering Momomiya asked me where your room was about an hour ago."

Quiche locked his jaw. He was caught in his lie. He hadn't considered that Ichigo might have asked Pie about his whereabouts. Pie continued: "I assume she found you?"

Quiche knocked his jaw back and forth and crossed his arms defensively. He lifted his chin slightly. "Mm, yep."

He challenged Pie with the silence that followed, staring back at him in a sort of battle of insinuation. After a few seconds of heavy silence, Quiche tilted his head to the side. "What of it?"

Pie narrowed his eyes. "Don't be an idiot, Quiche," he muttered. "I know that look in your eye. Don't fall prey to idle thoughts and fanciful visions of something we both know is impossible. You must stay the course on your own merit, not on the wing of fantasy."

Quiche felt a snap of anger rip through his throat, but it was quickly lulled by the taste of strawberry lip gloss that lingered on his lips. He knew this was different. He knew it by the way she touched the bruise under his eye, by the way she looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time. It was everything he had dreamed of and more. For the first time, there was a chance. A crack in the fortress, a gap just wide enough to slip through. What had seemed impossible a mere two weeks ago was suddenly just out of his grasp. Close, but not close enough. Too close to lose.

She _had_ to be his. He had never wanted anything more in his life.

"More than visions, Pie," Quiche replied, allowing a smirk to tug at his lips. "You'll see soon enough."

A look of surprise passed over Pie's features just briefly, a small flicker of curiosity alight in his bright grey eyes. Quiche reveled in having the upper hand in their banter. Feeling confident, he shifted his weight to his other hip and sighed as he added, "Mm, unless you'd like to hear all of the juicy details? Maybe you can trade me for the story behind why you're writing love letters to Midorikawa, if we want to talk about _fanciful visions_."

The surprise in Pie's expression was quickly replaced with anger. He furrowed his brow. Quiche saw his muscles tense under his shirt. "I don't know what you're talking about," Pie muttered through clenched teeth. His voice was calm, but a slight edge of repressed fury betrayed his true feelings.

"You have ink smudged on your hand," Quiche pointed out, nodding to Pie's hand crossed over his arm. Pie lifted his hand just slightly to look as Quiche continued, "I haven't seen you write a letter by hand in ages – a wild guess, and judging by your reaction, I suppose I guessed right. Now tell me, how are your _idle thoughts_ treating you these days?"

Pie scowled and crossed his hands behind his back. "You disgust me," he growled, turning to retreat back into his room. Quiche grinned.

"Glad we had this chat, Pie!"

Pie slammed his door behind him.

Quiche turned to head into the bathroom, but another door flew open down the hall. Tart stuck his head out and made a face at Quiche.

"What the hell is _his_ problem?" Tart muttered, jerking his head towards Pie's closed door.

Quiche shrugged. "Beats me. Oh, by the way, I'm sticking around for a bit more."

"Wait, what?!"

"Don't ask, short stack," Quiche replied, stepping onto the cold bathroom tile. He stuck his head out and grinned back at Tart's shocked face. "You'll have to take a rain check on my long-winded speech about brotherhood and camaraderie, I'm afraid. Sleep tight, and better shut your mouth or you'll catch flies in there."

Tart clapped his jaw shut just as Quiche slammed the bathroom door. He rolled his eyes and ducked back into his room with a sigh.

"Geez, what a bunch of drama queens."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIG shoutout to all of my amazing commenters from last chapter! Your encouragement means the world to me, and I love hearing from you. I have a bunch of readers following along on FFnet, but my Ao3 readers leave the best comments. ;) 
> 
> Please leave a comment if you haven't already! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and what you'd like to see next.


	16. Let the Cat Out of the Bag

The ring was starting to feel more like a weight than an ornament.

Like a curse, rather than a blessing.

Ichigo fought the urge to pick at it as she dropped a tray of dirty dishes off in the kitchen. It would be suspicious to stop wearing it during her shifts now, but Ichigo was starting to resent the way it seemed to gleam up at her with every turn. It glinted and sparkled at her with a brilliance she knew she didn't deserve, as if to say that it knew her secrets. As if it was a mirror to her imperfections. The gem was flawless.

Like Masaya. Unlike herself.

Ichigo blew her bangs out of her face and wiped her brow on the back of her arm.

Quiche had returned back to work that day, and was working the early afternoon shift just barely overlapping with Ichigo's. Ichigo had made a point to avoid him as they passed each other in the dining room. She felt his eyes burning into her the whole day, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Ichigo knew she couldn't avoid him _forever,_ but she hadn't yet figured out exactly what she was going to do about the grave she had just dug herself into. And she wasn't about to accept suggestions from the boy who was proverbially handing her the shovel.

Ichigo felt just about as pristine as the pile of dirty dishes she had just dumped in the kitchen sink. Whispers of memories from the night before danced through her head the whole day. Memories of hands, lips, hungry eyes. Of perfect words uttered in a dangerous voice. A sickly feeling sat in the pit of Ichigo's stomach as she heaved a deep breath, collecting herself in that short, stolen moment. _Stop it, Ichigo. Pull yourself together._

"H-hey, Ichigo," came a voice from behind her. Ichigo unwittingly jumped in surprise, flinching. She turned slowly to observe the look of curiosity on Lettuce's face. Her friend pushed her round glasses up the bridge of her nose and tilted her head to one side. "Um, do you have table 10 or should I take them?"

"Ah, uh," Ichigo stammered, clapping her hands behind her back, "y-you can take them. Thanks!"

She grinned, knowing it was only a semblance of a natural smile. Lettuce looked like she was about to comment on her jumpiness, but just smiled and nodded instead. She tucked a pen behind one of her ears and turned back to the dining area of the café. Ichigo, grateful that Lettuce hadn't been in the mood to pry, cringed as Pudding bounded into the kitchen not a moment later. The blonde nearly tripped over Lettuce as she leapt towards Ichigo.

"Big sis Ichigo!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I have a verryyyyy important question for you. The utmost importance!"

Ichigo sighed and crossed her arms. "Yes, Pudding?" she replied, chancing a glance at the kitchen clock. The day was flying by. Ichigo felt like she had hardly had a moment to herself between her classes at school and an uncharacteristically busy Monday afternoon at the café.

"Okay okay, well Berry said I shouldn't ask you this but I'm asking you anyway because I think it's super important!" Pudding exclaimed, glancing around to make sure she wasn't overheard. She leaned in comically close to Ichigo's ear. "I need to know … what kind of cake Aoyama likes."

Ichigo furrowed her brow at the question. She tilted her head. "Aoyama?" she repeated curiously.

Pudding nodded. "Yep, you heard me!"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "Well," she started, "He doesn't eat much cake, but he always asks for a chocolate cake for his birthday."

"Mmm, perfect!" Pudding exclaimed. She jabbed her finger in the air as if she had reached a momentous conclusion. "This concludes Detective Pudding's work! Oh, and Ichigo?"

Ichigo tilted her head to one side as Pudding leaned in close once again. She held a hand up to her mouth and whispered in Ichigo's ear, side-eyeing the kitchen entryway. "Don't go looking around the fridge in the basement. But don't tell anyone I told you that."

Pudding snickered and put her hands on her hips. Ichigo began to understand what all of this was about. The mews were planning a surprise party — likely for their engagement, or for Masaya's going away, or both. She cringed at the thought, and was unable to stop herself from grimacing. It was the last thing she needed, considering the delicate circumstances of her relationship as of late.

"Ah, Pudding?" Ichigo prodded. "You're not throwing us a surprise party, are you?"

Pudding blinked, then adopted a comical grin. "Of course not! We're just planning a party for … uh … Zakuro's birthday!"

Ichigo had to stop herself from laughing at Pudding's inability to keep a secret. "Then why did you ask about Aoyama's favorite kind of cake?"

"Uhhhh because I was thinking about his birthday too!"

"Aoyama's birthday is in January."

"Well then we're all ready and prepared for it when it rolls around again ... next year!" Pudding exclaimed, hardly missing a beat. She grinned up at Ichigo. "Anyway, forget we had this conversation! I'll see you later, big sis!"

And with that, the whirling ball of energy bounded out of the kitchen with a leap and twirl. Ichigo let out an exasperated breath and grabbed her next table's order from the prep station — two creme brûlées. She popped two fresh raspberries atop each and whisked them away to her next table. If she couldn't get a moment to herself to think, at least she could stay busy, and keep her mind off of things for a little while.

On her return to the kitchen, Ichigo caught a flash of blue as Mint disappeared into the back room. She suddenly remembered something Quiche told her last night, something she'd forgotten about after everything else that had happened around it.

" _Your friend Mint tipped me off to him carrying it around the day we fought that rat chimera, and he's had it on him ever since."_

Something between anger and curiosity was alight in Ichigo as she set her serving tray down at the kitchen prep station. _Why was Mint talking with Quiche? Why would she clue him in about her engagement? What kind of secrets was she keeping?_

Ichigo dusted off her hands on her apron and headed to the back room with the intention to confront her mysterious friend.

Mint sat on the far end of the back room, scrolling through her phone in her café uniform. She briefly looked up to catch Ichigo's eye. "Oh, hi Ichigo," she greeted in her soft voice. Her words always sounded like bells — graceful and light. Ichigo couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance, even before Mint had a chance to explain herself.

"I need to talk to you about something," Ichigo said bluntly. She crossed her arms. Mint looked up from her phone. She flipped her phone screen off, then set it down on her lap.

Ichigo looked behind her and, seeing the open door leading out to the hall, kicked the doorstop up so that the door swung shut. She had Mint's full attention now, her hazel eyes boring into Ichigo's carefully, curiously.

"How long did you know Aoyama was going to propose?" Ichigo asked. Her question was harsh, blunt.

"Mm, for a little while," Mint replied nonchalantly. If she was anxious, she didn't show it. "He wasn't being very subtle about it."

"Because he was carrying around the box, right?" Ichigo prodded.

"So you knew he was going to ask?" Mint asked curiously. She picked at one of the cuticles of her French manicure.

"No," Ichigo started, "but you did. And you told someone else about it."

Mint raised one eyebrow. "Ah," she said quietly. "You've spoken with Quiche. I was wondering why I saw him walking around in uniform today. I haven't seen him in days … you must have talked some sense into him."

Ichigo clenched her jaw. Memories of his hands on her legs and his lips on her neck threatened to take over her thoughts, to give away her secrets. She fought a flush threatening to creep up her face. "That's besides the point," she argued. "I want to know why you're going behind your friend's back and trying to mess with my relationship with Aoyama."

Mint looked taken aback. Ichigo could see the surprise clearly in her delicate features. She blinked twice. "No, Ichigo, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Ichigo demanded. "Because last time I checked, friends don't conspire with the people trying to split up their friend's relationship."

"It's not _conspiring_ , Ichigo," Mint bit back, impatience beginning to seep into her tone. "It was a warning. I saw the box in Aoyama's pocket and told Quiche to back off. For his own good and for yours."

Ichigo hadn't considered this explanation. She bit her lip and cast her gaze to the floor. She thought carefully as she clenched her fists then released them. "Then, why didn't you tell me any of this?" she asked finally.

Mint shrugged, calm returning to her features once more.

"What friend ruins the surprise of another friend's proposal?" she said simply.

Ichigo sighed. Mint was right — her anger was misdirected. She immediately felt guilty for accusing her of ill will. Her explanation made sense, and lined up with what she knew from her conversation with Quiche.

"I'm sorry Mint," Ichigo said dejectedly. She crossed her arms. "It's been … a rough few days."

Ichigo should have known better than to say that in front of the gossip queen. Mint tilted her head to one side curiously. She put her phone away in her bag and replaced it in the cubby behind her. Then, she rose from her seat and smoothed her apron. "No need to apologize," she said. "You owe me one, though. Now tell me why you look so upset when you should be celebrating your engagement right now."

Ichigo shrugged, avoiding Mint's prying eyes as her friend stood a few paces from her. "I guess … I guess I'm just having a hard time with Aoyama leaving for London in a couple days," Ichigo said lamely. She inwardly cursed herself for lying. Again. _Why am I like this?_

This time, the lie wasn't convincing enough. Mint narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She opened her mouth to reply, but the door to the back room swung open before she could. Both girls turned to see Lettuce pushing the door halfway open, a look of embarrassment flashing across her heart-shaped face.

"I uh — Sorry to interrupt!" Lettuce blurted out. "Um, I was actually wondering if I could get one of you to help take care of this party of eight that just showed up."

"Yes, but in a minute," Mint replied quickly. Lettuce leaned against the door and tilted her head to one side. Mint started: "I was actually—"

She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes drifted to the space behind Lettuce. Ichigo watched Quiche walk behind Lettuce, carrying an order out from the kitchen.

Ichigo held her breath as Quiche caught her eye through the doorway. A hint of a smirk, a faint flash of a knowing look passed over his face as he locked eyes with Ichigo for half a second. The spark of something wild – that little touch of fire – was alight in his eyes, just like the night before.

Quiche turned and waltzed into the dining room the next moment. But that one look was enough to cause Ichigo to stiffen.

And it was enough for Mint to notice.

Mint's eyes widened as she turned her attention back to Lettuce. She beckoned her to come closer with a waving hand. "Lettuce! Get in here!" Lettuce opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. She let the back room door swing shut behind her and curiously approached the other two girls.

Ichigo began to sweat as she felt Mint's eyes boring into her expression. She averted her gaze to her shoes and clenched her jaw, knowing that Mint was beginning to put two and two together.

"What was that?" Mint demanded, crossing her arms.

Ichigo's breath hitched in her throat. "Wh-what?"

"Oh don't play dumb, Ichigo," Mint scoffed. "You and Quiche, just now. What did you say to him yesterday that he decided to suddenly show up to work again?"

Ichigo struggled to scrape together what she would say, panicked eyes darting between Mint and Lettuce. Lettuce looked on in confusion as Ichigo stammered, "I uh— it was—really nothing to look into!"

"Really, Ichigo?" Mint asked, moving her hands to her hips. "You're going to keep this from your closest friends?"

Ichigo chewed the inside of her cheek and let out a breath through her nose. Mint was right, yet again. She owed it to her friends to be honest with them, after everything they had done to support her. It was time to let the cat out of the bag, and it terrified her. But where would she even start?

"No, you're …" Ichigo started. She sighed and thought hard about what she should tell her friends. She needed advice, badly. Thinking about the conflict swirling madly through her head, she braced herself for what she was about to say.

Ichigo glanced at the closed door of the break room briefly, then lowered her voice. "I just — I just have this feeling. I'm …. I'm thinking about breaking off the engagement."

"What?!" Lettuce and Mint both exclaimed in a hushed shock, their voices rising just above a whisper. Ichigo shushed them quickly and grimaced. The last thing she needed was someone listening in to their conversation.

"This soon? You've only been engaged for a few days!" Lettuce hissed. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and looked ashamed. "Sorry, that was rude to say," she murmured through her hand.

"I mean, we were all wondering about you being 17 and engaged, but we all figured after everything you and Aoyama have been through, it sort of made sense," Mint said, tapping one foot as she spoke. She furrowed her brow. "Wait, but Aoyama leaves in two days — his last full day in Tokyo is tomorrow, right?"

"Right," Ichigo confirmed. She grimaced as she spoke: "He has a red-eye flight Wednesday morning. He's taking me out to dinner tonight."

"Somewhere nice?" asked Mint.

Ichigo nodded. "It's some high-end raw bar downtown … the website has a dress code and everything."

Lettuce and Mint exchanged a look somewhere between concern and surprise. Ichigo watched them warily. She suddenly felt like the silence was weighing heavy on them, uncomfortable and thick with worry.

"Ichigo … what are you going to do?" Lettuce murmured. Her wide blue eyes searched Ichigo in a way that made her avert her gaze in shame.

Ichigo pulled her hair back from her face out of nervous habit, sighing deeply. "I don't know yet," she said in a huff as she held her thick, ruby-red hair in her hands. "I'm just … confused. About everything."

A few seconds of silence passed between the group as Ichigo listened to the distant sound of plates clattering and the chatter of café guests in the dining room. She felt relieved at telling her closest friends about her concerns with the engagement, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy that something she had languished over in silence for so long was out in the open. Were they judging her for her bad decision-making? Would they judge her even more if they knew the rest of the truth?

She didn't have to wonder long.

Suddenly, Ichigo felt Mint tug at the collar of her café uniform. Ichigo quickly let her hair down and slapped her hand over her neck, but it was too late.

Mint looked up at her with wide eyes. "Ichigo. You're wearing makeup on your neck," she said.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Lettuce asked in a harsh whisper, her brow furrowed. She looked between Mint and Ichigo, confused.

"Ichigo, you're covering up a love bite on your neck, aren't you?" Mint asked slowly, staring into Ichigo's terrified eyes, " … and it's not from Aoyama ... is it?"

Ichigo didn't have time to conceal her panic. She didn't have time to lie. She inwardly cursed her inexperience with makeup. The concealer was hard to blend over the small, splotchy red mark on her neck. Ichigo had noticed it in the mirror while getting ready for school that morning. She knew it had to have come from Quiche kissing her neck the night before. _Damn, Mint is good._

What was one more secret? After all, her friends already knew she wasn't happy in her engagement. Ichigo bit her lip, took a deep breath through her nose, and shook her head in response.

Mint clapped her jaw shut and furrowed her brow.

"I knew it," she said. "You're in love with both of them."

"N-no!" Ichigo stammered, waving her hands in front of her defensively. "That is, I'm in love with Aoyama, of course, but not with _him._ No, not love. At least, I don't think."

"But it's enough that you'll break off an engagement!" Mint was quick to point out. Lettuce looked on in stunned silence as Ichigo struggled to gather her thoughts.

"I-it's not just that!" Ichigo squeaked. "It's … I don't know, being engaged right out of high school and living in a foreign country and starting my career at some expensive university with no friends and no family and BEFORE any of that I have to work with someone who literally makes me feel like I'm on fire whenever he touches me and—"

"Woah woah woah, wait!" Mint interrupted, holding up a hand of caution. "Slow down, Ichigo."

Ichigo walked in a circle anxiously and held her head in her hands, groaning. Telling her friends her secrets felt like vomiting – she felt disgusted with herself, but her stomach felt lighter, like a sour feeling had dislodged itself from her gut.

That, and she felt like she might actually puke.

Lettuce grabbed one of Ichigo's hands, stopping her from continuing her anxious pacing in a circle. Ichigo looked up at her with wide eyes, feeling frantic, embarrassed. Lettuce's gaze was nothing but soothing. Her calm, quiet presence countered the rapid-fire interrogation from Mint.

"Ichigo, we're always going to have your back," Lettuce murmured reassuringly. "No matter what decisions you make. No matter where you are or who you're with. We'll be here. That's what best friends are for."

Ichigo heaved a deep breath and nodded slowly, feeling like she might cry at the reassurance. She didn't know how much she needed to hear it. Mint took Ichigo's other hand in hers, then took Lettuce's free hand to form a circle.

"Everything stays between us," Mint added. "You can trust us, Ichigo. We'll be here for you no matter what. Even if you're a continent away."

Ichigo nodded again. She heaved a sigh. Her chest felt lighter already.

"Thank you, Mint. Thank you, Lettuce," she said meekly. "It's just … so much to think through. I just don't have enough time. It's all happening so fast."

Mint glanced over at Lettuce, and she returned the worried look. "So walk me through this," Mint started slowly. "If you stay engaged to Aoyama, you go a few more months long distance, then you break the news to your families that you're engaged, and then you move to London in the fall for university."

"Exactly," Ichigo replied, nodding.

"... but you'd have to work through your fears around your future without Aoyama for the next few months," Mint continued. "Keeping your engagement a secret ... worrying about if you made the right choice. Not to mention the whole situation with that gold-eyed snake who can't keep his hands to himself."

Ichigo could hear the annoyance in Mint's voice. She cringed, biting her lip and trying not to appear too bothered. "... yeah," she agreed finally. She twisted the engagement ring on her finger absent-mindedly.

"Ichigo, I —um," Lettuce started hesitantly. She was blushing as she pushed her glasses up on her face. Her eyes flicked from Ichigo's eyes to her neck, then back again. "You and Quiche, you didn't … you know…"

Ichigo immediately felt her neck grow hot at the insinuation that they had done something more than kiss, especially coming from Lettuce. She tried to tamp down thoughts of Quiche's hands gripping her legs as she shook her head quickly. "No, no, no!" Ichigo squeaked. "It got a little … heavy … but I stopped it before it went too far."

"A kiss is still a kiss, Ichigo," Mint remarked, raising an eyebrow. "And twice? I hope Quiche knows he'll be in big trouble if Aoyama finds out he kissed you again."

"That's the problem," Ichigo muttered under her breath. She massaged her temples as she sighed, feeling the truth leak out piece by piece. "I was the one who kissed him."

"You WHAT?" Mint exclaimed.

Ichigo cringed and shushed her. "Shh! Quiet! Listen, I wasn't, like, planning on it or anything! We were just talking and he gave me this whole speech about being in love with me—"

"He SAID that?" Lettuce squeaked, gasping. Ichigo started to shush her too, but the door of the back room burst open before the sound left her lips. All three girls whirled around to see Pudding bounding into the back room.

"What's going on in here?" Pudding exclaimed, laughing and throwing her arms around Ichigo and Lettuce's shoulders. "Keeping secrets from Pudding? C'mon, spill! What's the hot gossip?"

Ichigo laughed nervously, a little too loud to be natural. Mint grimaced across from her before quickly jumping in: "We were just talking about Ichigo's romantic date tonight with Aoyama!"

"Ooo, a hot date!" Pudding said excitedly. "Where at?"

"I don't know, some fancy place downtown!" Ichigo squeaked. Her voice was about two octaves too high, her nerves taking over her ability to hold a normal conversation. She cleared her throat and continued. "It's uh – called a 'raw bar'? It has a bunch of sushi, sashimi and shellfish?"

"Ugh, shellfish? Like oysters? Ew!" Pudding said, sticking out her tongue. "Well, sounds super fancy! Have tons of fun and don't get too drunk at the bar!"

Ichigo snorted, feeling some of her nerves leaving her as she laughed at Pudding's remark. "No, Pudding, _raw bar_ just means fancy seafood! I'm only 17; I can't drink yet!"

"Alright, well, have tons of fun tonight!" Pudding grinned. She took two steps back and nodded to the door. "Anyway, can one of you help with the tables? I'm a little swamped out there!"

"Yep, you got it!" Lettuce chirped, following Pudding towards the door. Pudding darted out of the break room as Lettuce propped open the door once again. She looked back at Mint and Ichigo reassuringly, nodding with a small smile and raised eyebrows.

Ichigo turned to Mint as Mint took her hand in hers. She gave it a squeeze as she searched Ichigo's eyes carefully. "Listen, Ichigo … you're an absolute moron, but you know we'll always be here for you anyway."

The corner of Ichigo's lip twitched. She thought of a retort to the insult, but Mint continued: "Here's the thing … this is your decision, not ours. Only you know what you have to do. Just follow your heart and everything will be okay."

Ichigo nodded and sighed. Something soft and uncharacteristically warm passed over Mint's expression in the next moment. Ichigo counted her lucky stars that no matter what, she knew she could rely on her closest friends for support. Teasing, insults and all. In the end, she always had her friends.

A small smile crept up her face, and she squeezed Mint's hand in return.

"Thanks," she murmured softly. A second of silence passed between them before Mint released her hand.

"Uh, I actually have a favor to ask," Ichigo stammered. She rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't really have anything to wear tonight…"

Mint sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, you can come over after your shift. I'm sure I have something you can borrow."

"You're the best, Mint! Thank you!"

"But if you get even a _drop_ of gross oyster juice on my clothes, there will be hell to pay, got it? I know how you commoners are."

"Hey! Haven't you insulted me enough for one night?!"

"You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok Ao3 readers … I apologize for the late update on this chapter. Some life stuff came up this past week and I've been crazy busy. So thanks for your patience!
> 
> This week I have a couple pieces of exciting news! Not only did I just find out that this fic has the MOST COMMENTS for a non-crossover Tokyo Mew Mew fic OF ALL TIME on Ao3, it’s the second-most-kudos’ed fic published this year, excluding crossovers. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This story is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular TMM fics of all time on Ao3, and I’m so stoked to finish off the story strong.
> 
> I also wanted to share with you all that I HAVE MY FIRST PIECE OF FANART for this fic! This amazing KrysMcScience made this GORGEOUS piece for the last chapter. They have it up on their Tumblr, here: https://krysmcscience.tumblr.com/post/633853552780001280/for-you-anything-hahaha-its-20fukken20-and
> 
> Please go check it out and give them some love!
> 
> Sorry for all of the caps in my author’s notes – I am full of excitement with how much you all are loving this fic. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but this tiny, nostalgic fandom community is the best, and you all are wonderful to talk with. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!
> 
> Cheers and thanks again for all the love!


	17. The Date

Ichigo regretted letting Mint talk her into wearing the dress, but it was too late now. She turned left and right in front of her bedroom mirror and watched the a-line skirt of the little black dress whirl around her thighs. Sighing, she felt the tight bodice grip her ribs as she drew a breath. Mint had talked her into the dress after insisting that the sweetheart neckline "makes your chest look so good, oh my god. You have to wear this one." Ichigo yanked at the armpits of the dress to pull it further up. In a lot of ways, it reminded Ichigo of her mew uniform, with the sweetheart neckline, and the short skirt flaring out from the smallest part of her waist.

Mint had also leant her a pair of 1-inch heels with wraparound straps encircling her ankles. Ichigo was absolutely terrified of tripping over herself in the expensive shoes, but Mint reassured her that the chunky heel would keep her steady. Ichigo slipped the shoes on her bare feet, then stood and twirled in the mirror to admire the finished look. Admittedly, though the dress was about a size too tight, and the shoes were already pinching at her ankles, she looked good. Really, really good. Ichigo smiled in satisfaction and felt a surge of confidence rush through her veins. Tonight, she would need it.

Ichigo still didn't know what she was going to do on her date with Masaya, if anything. She went the whole day playing out imaginary scenarios for how the date would go in her head. Every time she pictured telling Masaya the plain truth – everything she had told Mint and Lettuce just that afternoon – she pictured only disappointment, anger and tears. She couldn't picture an outcome that resulted in her relationship being fine, save for the idea of simply not telling Masaya everything. Ichigo quickly reminded herself about how terribly it had gone last time she tried to hide something from Masaya. _But do I really have a choice?_ she thought to herself. She sighed and plucked the diamond ring from its hiding spot at the back of the top drawer of her dresser.

As if on cue, Ichigo heard the sound of the doorbell chime downstairs. The sound made her heart leap into her throat. She wished so badly that she could halt time. It felt like she had no time – to think, to plan, to come up with what to say. She snatched her tan raincoat from the coat hook over the back of her door and dropped the ring in one of its pockets. In a strange sense, she felt like she was moving through her life minute-by-minute. She sighed as she slipped one arm through the coat, then the other. _Current objective:_ she thought, belting the coat, _...hiding this dress from my parents._

Ichigo made her way downstairs and saw Masaya chatting with her mom in the doorway. He looked classically handsome, as he always did – dressed in the same grey suit Ichigo recognized from the charity gala. It made him look sharp, professional. He could have passed for 25, 26 years old. Ichigo walked up behind her mom and caught Masaya's eye. He turned his attention to her and smiled.

"Good evening, Momomiya," he greeted her. "You look lovely."

Ichigo felt a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she tilted her head to the side and smiled even wider. "Thanks, Aoyama."

Ichigo's mom grinned at the couple and stepped back. Ichigo took Masaya's hand in hers. His grasp was blissfully warm and comforting.

"Now, don't be out too late, okay?" Ichigo's mom chirped. She crossed her arms and dropped her voice lower. "You know how your dad gets sometimes …"

Ichigo laughed nervously and glanced behind her mom. Her dad was busy in the kitchen, searing something that smelled like garlic and fish. Ichigo thanked her lucky stars he was too busy to nag her on the way out the door.

"I promise I'll bring her back before 10," Masaya reassured her mom, giving Ichigo's hand a light squeeze. Ichigo's mom nodded, satisfied.

"Well, don't let me keep you!" she said. "Have fun!"

With that, Ichigo and Masaya left the doorway and headed out to the sidewalk. To Ichigo's surprise, a black cab was waiting outside her house.

"You called a taxi?" Ichigo exclaimed, glancing up at Masaya. They almost never rode in taxis, preferring the train system for most things, and walking for others. Masaya grinned.

"Of course! Well, it's a towncar. It _is_ a special occasion, after all," he said. Ichigo couldn't help but feel impressed. Masaya opened the door of the sleek black car for Ichigo. She ducked her head and slipped inside. The interior smelled like expensive perfume and leather. Masaya slid in the seat next to her, then closed the door behind them. Ichigo unbelted her coat and smoothed her dress on her lap as the car began to move.

Glancing up at Masaya, she caught him looking up and down at her as she fixed her skirt. "I love that dress," he said, grinning. Ichigo's faint blush deepened. She was secretly thrilled that Masaya was admiring her looks. She felt her confidence surge.

She smiled back at Masaya playfully. "Had to hide it from my parents for obvious reasons."

"Well you look beautiful," Masaya added. He held Ichigo's hand in the space between their seats. Ichigo suddenly remembered the engagement ring in her pocket. She slipped it on her left ring finger before taking hold of Masaya's hand once more.

The car ride seemed to take no time at all as Ichigo and Masaya made small talk about which university applications Ichigo should submit first. Ichigo was slacking on finishing the lengthy forms, feeling frustrated whenever her limited understanding of English fell short of allowing her to translate what the schools were asking of her. She hated relying on Masaya for help – especially with her English. She tried keeping their conversation light, refusing to divulge how much she was struggling to do the bare minimum to attend an English school. Masaya seemed thrilled with the topic of Ichigo's applications. He enthusiastically described the feeling of excitement when he got his first acceptance letter in the mail. Ichigo grasped hold of Masaya's warm, happy energy and held it close in her thoughts like a lantern, hoping it would warm her mood.

Once they arrived at their destination in downtown Tokyo, Masaya tipped the driver, then stepped out of the towncar first to open the door for Ichigo. Ichigo took his hand and slipped out of the leather seats, stepping on to the sidewalk of the street lit with neon lights. It was loud, bright and dazzlingly beautiful. Ichigo took a long, deep breath of the breezy air that smelled vaguely of fried food and motor oil. Something about downtown Tokyo at nighttime made her feel alive.

"Ready?" Masaya asked as he shut the car door behind them.

Ichigo smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm starving! Let's go!"

Masaya led her to the doorway of a narrow, dimly-lit building a half-block down from where the driver had dropped them off. He pulled open a tall wood door with an iron handle and gestured for Ichigo to go in before him. Ichigo's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark entryway of the posh restaurant as she stepped inside.

The room smelled like mahogany and fresh seafood, mixed with a dash of brandy wafting from the cabinet directly behind the host stand. Masaya chatted with a trim, elegant woman behind the desk, then Ichigo found herself following Masaya and the hostess down the narrow, winding floor between candlelit tables. Ichigo noticed that they were far and beyond the youngest couple in the restaurant.

Masaya pulled out Ichigo's seat for her once they found their table. Ichigo sat and pulled her chair in the rest of the way before shedding her coat. The restaurant hostess took it from her, trading Ichigo for a menu as she rattled through the wine list. Masaya and Ichigo exchanged an amused glance. They both ordered black tea before settling into each other's uninterrupted company once more.

Ichigo found her nerves peaking again as Masaya's warm gaze searched hers. _Take it minute by minute,_ she reminded herself. Sighing, Ichigo forced a smile up her face and looked around the restaurant curiously. The high ceilings held dark wood beams, where modern chandeliers made of Edison bulbs and wrought iron hung like pieces of industrial art. "This place is really beautiful," she sighed, meeting her fiancé's warm eyes once more.

Masaya smiled wider. "Glad you like it," he said. "I wanted to treat you to something special before I left."

Ichigo fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twirling it as she tilted her head to one side. "I'd be perfectly happy with ramen, too, you know," she said with a giggle.

"I know," Masaya laughed. "But you deserve the best."

Ichigo felt her stomach sink. A familiar cocktail of guilt churned in her gut as she let out a deep sigh. In reality, she knew she deserved none of it – not the towncar, not the date, not Masaya's gentle kindness.

Masaya's expression changed in the next moment, but he was interrupted by a server bringing over their tea. They both thanked the server, then raised their cups in a cheers.

"To … us," Masaya said simply, smiling.

Ichigo smiled back. "To us."

It shocked her how much those two words felt like a lie in that moment. Ichigo took a sip of her tea and set it down with care on the black wood table. _Minute by minute_.

"Ichigo," Masaya said, catching Ichigo's attention, "what are you thinking about? You seem deep in thought tonight."

Ichigo stiffened. She took a deep breath and quickly began to pluck familiar excuses from the forefront of her mind. "I … I'm thinking about how I wish we had more time together," she replied truthfully. "I'll miss you when you have to leave again."

Masaya seemed satisfied with the answer, nodding to himself thoughtfully. "I'll miss you too," he murmured. "But it won't be for long, you know. I'll be back in Tokyo in only a couple months. 11 weeks, I think?"

11 weeks still felt like such a long time in Ichigo's mind. She nodded and rested her head on one hand. "We've gone longer without seeing each other, right?"

"Right," Masaya agreed with a smile. "Then, when I get back, we'll be together all the time. There will be lots to do this summer to get you ready to move. I'm sure we'll be plenty busy. The time will go by fast."

The time was already going by fast. Too fast. Ichigo clenched her jaw subconsciously and tilted her head to one side. "Yeah, I'm sure it will," she murmured. She smiled slightly and averted her gaze to the dining room of the restaurant. It was sparsely seated – Ichigo guessed that Mondays were probably slow for them, like most restaurants and cafés. One couple off to their left were already visibly drunk. The woman, a lady in her mid-50s with a bob and a red dress, laughed a little too loudly at her date's joke as she swirled an ornate-looking cocktail in one hand. Ichigo hadn't realized she was spacing out until she glanced back at Masaya. His look of concern made her straighten her back.

"Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" Masaya prodded gently. Ichigo swallowed hard and bit the inside of her cheek.

"It's – I just –" she started hesitantly. She felt like she was trying to zip an overstuffed suitcase, cramming her worries into a small corner of her mind. Exhaling, she started again: "I guess I'm just feeling overwhelmed."

"Tell me what you're feeling overwhelmed about," said Masaya. He tilted his head to one side. Ichigo watched him tap the side of his teacup with one finger. The small movement gave away the fact that he was nervous, fidgety. Ichigo fought back her own nerves and sighed. Her eyes flicked between the various items on their table as she searched her mind for what to say.

"I had a conversation with Shirogane after my shift yesterday," she said finally. Carefully, methodically, she teased the earlier parts of her night away from its explosive ending. She knew she could latch on to her conversation with Ryou, and place it in front of Masaya as a façade for now. He waited patiently for her to continue. Ichigo met his eyes again, feeling like she had a life ring to hold on to. She continued in a low voice. "When we move to London … what are we going to do if a chimera shows up like they've been doing here in Tokyo? What if we get attacked, and I'm the only one who can fight it off?"

Masaya thought for a moment. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around the restaurant. Ichigo knew he was probably seeing whether or not anyone was listening in to their conversation. His finger stopped tapping on his teacup. "Is that what Shirogane told you would happen?" he asked carefully.

Ichigo bit her lip and nodded timidly. "Yeah," she murmured. "I guess everyone's been worried for us. You know, being away from the rest of the team."

Masaya regarded her with a "hmm" before taking a sip of tea. He seemed lost in thought, an air of anxiety continuing to cloud his eyes. "So Shirogane thinks there's going to be a chimera parasite floating around London somewhere?"

"Well, maybe," Ichigo replied quickly, tilting her head to one side. She picked up her tea and took a sip. The steaming liquid calmed her nerves, though she noticed her hands were trembling ever so slightly. "He said that him and Keiichiro have seen chimera parasites travel all over the place, and that it's not unheard of for one to show up outside of Japan. He's not the only one who's worried – the whole team is."

"Are you?" Masaya asked simply. Ichigo blinked.

"Am I worried?"

"Yes – is this your worry, or theirs?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "I _am_ worried about it," she admitted. "I wouldn't know what I would do without the mews if a chimera showed up in London. I mean, the seagull chimera the other day was almost a disaster when I had to try to fight it alone."

"But do you really think that would happen again, in London?" Masaya asked. He had resumed the tapping on his teacup. "What are the odds, really? The parasites were only really planted in Tokyo – it would be miraculous if one ended up overseas."

"Shirogane doesn't think so," Ichigo insisted. She felt her jaw tensing; it felt like they were on the precipice of an argument.

"Shirogane is very smart, and I respect him a lot," Masaya replied slowly. His gaze drifted as if he was choosing his words carefully. "... but I worry that his intentions with keeping you here are partly selfish."

Ichigo furrowed her brow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Masaya stretched his neck, pausing again before starting slowly, "... well, the Mew Project is his life's work," he continued. His eyes returned to Ichigo. "If I were Shirogane, I would want to keep all of the mews in Tokyo as well."

The remark startled Ichigo. She cocked her head and blinked. "You think Shirogane is making this up so that I stay in Tokyo? So he can further develop the Mew Project?"

Masaya shook his head quickly. "No, not … well, maybe, but not exactly," he corrected. He exhaled in a sigh. "I just don't think the possibility of a chimera showing up in London of all places is really that plausible. And it seems awfully convenient for Shirogane to tell you all of this now, after we're engaged."

Ichigo began to connect the dots. She thought of the conversation with Ryou in the basement, where she twirled the ring on her finger while Ryou told her that " _it's obvious to everyone, Momomiya_ ". Ryou's congratulations after their announcement that they were engaged. Masaya's hand on her back as they walked around the café.

Masaya was worried. Not just about Quiche. About Ryou, too. _When did he get so jealous?_

She wondered to herself if this possessive streak was new – but she knew deep down it wasn't. Ever since he gave her the choker necklace with the small, silver bell, Masaya had always called her _his cat_. It was equal parts flattering and worrying. Ichigo found herself fidgeting with her engagement ring again as she thought about how to reply.

"I – I don't think Shirogane is _interested_ in me, if that's what you mean," Ichigo said carefully. She bit the inside of her cheek and watched Masaya's reaction carefully. He shrugged, appearing nonchalant.

"I don't know, Momomiya," he said. He brushed his thick, black hair back with one hand. "I just don't want anything coming in between us."

Ichigo noticed with curiosity that he had switched to using her last name again. She furrowed her brow. One part of her brain – the part with the bursting suitcase of packed-away emotions – screamed at her that this was the perfect excuse to tell him the truth about everything. But another part of her worried about his emotional vulnerability. Masaya was visibly anxious, and had been ever since he put the ring on her finger.

She couldn't help but wonder – was she engaged out of devotion or desperation? Or both? After all, Masaya hadn't proposed until after the huge fight with Quiche, after everything came to light about the kiss and the dance. The more she thought about the circumstances around their engagement, the more she wondered if the ring and the bell choker were one and the same: a signifier that _this one is mine_. An effort to keep her close, to keep others away. And at 17, the engagement felt strangely premature, if not impulsive.

A question bubbled up to the surface as she mulled it over: _Do I care?_ _What does it matter if Masaya wants to make sure I'm his, forever?_

_Isn't that what any girl wants?_ she thought. To have a man devoted to her? A man wanting to make sure she is his one and only? Besides, they had been through so much together. They had fought in battles side by side and cheated death during the rebirth of Deep Blue. It always felt _right_ for them to be together, after everything they had been through. After all, not every girl gets to save the world with her first love by her side.

Ichigo let out a deep breath and felt her anxiety relax its grip on her body. "I promise," she murmured carefully, slowly, making eye contact with Masaya's worried brown eyes, "we'll figure all of this out. The move, being long-distance for a few months … everything."

It wasn't a lie. Ichigo knew they would figure out something. What she still didn't know was what she wanted after the 14-day rollercoaster of emotion was over. Would they work through all of it and still end up engaged, with Masaya blissfully unaware of the turmoil raging in Ichigo's head? Would they decide to keep their engagement a secret for even longer? Maybe Ichigo could convince him to let her stay in Tokyo for a few more months after the summer.

She knew it was wishful thinking, but Ichigo couldn't help losing herself in Masaya's warm eyes as she slumped her shoulders. It would be so easy to keep everything as it was. For Masaya to never know, for Ichigo to simply go along with the plan to move in the fall. To have the fairytale romance and the wedding she had dreamed about since she was a little girl. In that dimly-lit downtown restaurant with him in the sharp, grey suit, Ichigo could envision it all. A cute, charming apartment with old hardwood floors in London. Mornings cooking breakfast together, late nights studying while rain pattered on the window outside. _Easy._

Masaya had been studying her for half a minute as Ichigo let her mind wander. She could tell he was thinking hard, likely wondering about what was going through her head just as much as she was thinking about him. "You know that in the end, all I care about is making you happy, right?" Masaya said finally. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile.

Ichigo smiled slightly too. She nodded, "Mm, yeah."

"I know you're nervous, but I promise it'll all turn out okay in the end," he murmured. He reached out across the table and took her hand in his. His grip was firm and warm. She didn't realize how sweaty her palm was until it rested in his. "Because you're my cat. And I love you so much."

Ichigo clenched her jaw and nodded.

_Maybe I'm the one making this all too complicated._

_Maybe I should just ... go with it._

She envisioned making pancakes with Masaya in their London apartment and smiled.

"I love you too."

* * *

The rest of the night was spent chatting about the social culture in London and Masaya's favorite cafés. Ichigo enjoyed the best salmon of her life at the posh restaurant, and Masaya let her try some of his mushroom risotto. Masaya insisted on paying the bill. Everything felt simple. Everything felt right.

Ichigo sat in a blissful daze in the back of the black towncar with her head resting on Masaya's shoulder. He was wearing his cologne again, the same one he wore when he proposed. Its musky, spicy smell filled Ichigo's senses and made her feel warm inside. It felt like no time at all until the car turned on to Ichigo's street. Her neck felt stiff when Masaya's shoulder left her side. He slipped out of the car to open the door for her, extending a hand to help her out. She took his warm grasp in his and stepped out. She belted her coat over her dress and heaved a sigh as Masaya closed the door of the towncar behind them.

"So," Masaya started, "I got a mysterious text from someone saying I should be at the café tomorrow at 3PM? I'm assuming we're being summoned by your friends for something?"

Ichigo rolled her eyes and grinned. She remembered Pudding's clumsy question about Masaya's favorite cake earlier that day. "Yeah, I guess the mews are planning some kind of surprise party for us? Not much of a surprise, though, huh?"

Masaya chuckled. "Ah, well I figured as much." He grinned. "So, I'll see you around 3? Maybe we can do another date sometime after the party?"

"Sure!" Ichigo agreed. "I promise I won't keep you too late. I know your flight on Wednesday is super early."

"1AM," Masaya said, grimacing. "Staying up for you is worth it, though."

Ichigo felt a flush on her cheeks. She giggled and took Masaya's hands in hers. "Thanks for the date," she murmured, glazing up at Masaya. He smiled down at her, then leaned in closer, gripping her hands tighter. Ichigo stood taller on her tip toes and kissed him.

The kiss was short, sweet and warm. Ichigo broke away and smiled up into his loving eyes. Kissing Masaya felt familiar. She always felt safe around him, and their kisses were the same. Safe and comforting. His eyes were soft, loving as Ichigo smiled up at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she murmured.

"See you tomorrow," he agreed. He pulled her into his chest in a warm, full-body hug. Ichigo buried her face in his chest and closed her eyes. They remained there, on the sidewalk in front of her house, for a few seconds more before Masaya broke away.

"Goodnight, Ichigo," he said softly. He released one of her hands, then the other, as Ichigo turned and walked to her front door. She glanced back at him with a flush on her cheeks and a smile on her face. She was almost to the front door before she remembered the engagement ring – she pulled it off her finger and dropped it in her coat pocket hurriedly before opening the door and walking inside.

"I'm home!" Ichigo announced to her parents. She slipped off her shoes in the entryway and dropped them on the hardwood with a thump. Her parents were cuddled up on their couch in the living room, watching a movie that looked like it was from the 70s. A woman with overly-teased hair was smoking a cigarette at a table across from an American actor, who had a bad moustache and an even worse grasp on the Japanese language.

"How was your date?" Ichigo's mom chirped. She sat up straighter and gathered a fleece blanket around her waist.

"It was really nice!" Ichigo hummed, fidgeting with her hands. "The restaurant was really fancy. I had some of the best salmon ever."

"Better than your mom's?" her dad exclaimed. "Not possible! I hope that Aoyama kid behaved himself. You know how I feel about those late-night dates."

Ichigo glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall: _9:47_. "Dad, it's not even 10 yet!"

"Well good thing, or else I would have sent the cops after you!"

"DAD!"

"Shintaro!" Ichigo's mom hissed, giving her husband a playful smack on the arm. "Ichigo is nearly 18! Let her have a little fun with her boyfriend every once in a while!"

Shintaro let out a snort and raised his eyebrows. "Sure, sure," he grumbled. He turned his attention to the TV. "Anyway, I'm glad you had a nice date, honey."

Ichigo grinned and nodded. "Thanks, dad." She sighed and glanced over to her mom. "It's getting late … I think I'm headed to bed."

"Ok, well goodnight, honey!" her mom said with a smile. "Sleep well!"

"'Night," Ichigo replied. She turned and strode up the stairs. Her legs felt stiff from walking around in heels all night. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she shed her coat and slung it over one arm. She felt grateful that she had successfully hid the borrowed cocktail dress from her parents.

Ichigo's eyelids felt heavy as she turned the handle of her door and swung it open with a sigh. She reached for her light switch – but her stomach jumped into her throat when she felt something on her wrist.

Three things happened in the next half-second, too fast for Ichigo to react. First, she realized the feeling on her wrist was a hand. Second, she heard the door close sharply behind her. Third, she felt another hand clap over her mouth.

She stumbled back and found herself pinned against her door. She dropped her coat on the floor and inhaled sharply as she caught the slightest hint of a gold staring down at her in the dark room.

"Shhh," he shushed. "You'll give us away, kitten."

Ichigo's eyes adjusted to the light quickly as she glared up at Quiche with furious eyes. She used her free arm to rip his hand from her mouth.

"What the heck are you doing in my room?!" she hissed as loud as she felt she could. "Get _OUT!_ "

"Not so fast, now," Quiche murmured. She could see enough of him now to make out that he was wearing that stupid smirk she was growing to resent. She thought about slapping it off his face, but he was faster. He snatched her other wrist in his hand and pulled her towards him in a forceful tug. She stumbled forward into him clumsily – then, in the next instant, she felt like the ground was disappearing from their feet. He was teleporting.

"What are you doing?!" she gasped as she felt him grasp her tighter. She had to shut her eyes – she felt like she would throw up as gravity seemed to disappear.

Quiche's words sounded murky in her ear as Ichigo screwed her eyes shut: "You'll see."

And just like that, Ichigo's bedroom was empty, and they were gone.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you love a good cliffhanger. ;)
> 
> Thanks so much for all of the amazing comments as of late! You are all so wonderful to hear from, and I adore hearing what all of you think of the story so far. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! The dialog in this one took _forever_ to get right, so hopefully you like how the chapter turned out. Cheers and thanks for reading!)


	18. This World or Another

In the few seconds it took for Ichigo to feel the ground beneath her feet again, she had pictured 12 different ways in which she wanted to slap Quiche into the next century. When she finally felt her bare toes touch a cold, concrete surface, she immediately ripped herself out of Quiche's grasp and balled her hands into fists. Her eyes flew open and she squinted into harsh daylight with confusion. Blinking, her panicked eyes drank in her surroundings, confused and disoriented.

"Where are we?" she cried, glancing up at an overcast midday sky. She took two steps back and swallowed the panic clenching her throat. It was about 10PM in Tokyo – and she was decidedly not in Tokyo any more.

"Guess, kitten," Quiche quipped, appearing amused at her distress. He had his hands behind his head, watching her curiously. Ichigo clenched her jaw in frustration and observed her surroundings. She whirled on her heel and turned around.

It was the most breathtaking view she had ever seen in her life. She had seen the city in her schoolbooks and in movies. But Ichigo wasn't prepared to see the old, romantic buildings dotting the streets below, the peak of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower sitting further on the horizon. The city of Paris had always held a special place in her heart, especially with the Eiffel Tower as the inspiration for the famous Tokyo Tower. It felt like a familiar beacon of home.

Ichigo whirled around, wide eyes catching Quiche's amused ones. "Wait, what? What are we doing _here_? What is all of this?"

Quiche shrugged and tucked his hands in the pockets of his black pants nonchalantly. "You kept telling me you felt like you didn't have enough time," he said casually. He tilted his head to one side. "I can't wind back time for you. But I can bring you somewhere where the day hasn't grown quite as old."

Ichigo furrowed her brow as she began to understand. Time zones.

"Wait, so in Paris it's–"

"... around 3PM," Quiche finished, grinning proudly. "On Monday, April 6th."

He had _quite literally_ brought her back in time. But, the more Ichigo thought about it, the more she grew skeptical.

"Wait, but in Tokyo, it's still 10PM! And when we go back, it will be even later!" Ichigo exclaimed. She clenched her jaw and turned to look back over the Paris skyline. Even with overcast, cloudy skies above them, it really was breathtaking.

"Shh, don't ruin it," Quiche purred. His voice was closer than she was expecting. Ichigo felt his fingertips curling around the curves of her waist. It felt like he was leaving tiny trails of fire where he touched her. Then, Ichigo remembered how furious she was at him. She tore away from him and took two steps back, glaring up at him again.

"Don't think this changes anything!" she spat.

Quiche raised one eyebrow and smirked, crossing his arms. "I've heard you say that before," he remarked. "And the next day, we were dancing together." Ichigo recalled their conversation after they battled the rat chimera together – the conversation they had after the kiss in the café kitchen.

"That's different!" Ichigo yelled, scowling. "What were you thinking? Abducting me from my room like that?"

Quiche shrugged. "It's not like I could have just _asked_."

"Well I...!" Ichigo started. She faltered, clapping her mouth shut. He was right. She would have never agreed to this if he had asked her.

She sighed in frustration and let her eyes wander to the Parian skyline once more. The vantage point from the concrete rooftop they stood on was really, truly beautiful. And she couldn't deny that the daylight of the still-present Monday afternoon was comforting. Even if it was temporary, the feeling of traveling "back in time," so to speak, brought Ichigo a level of peace she didn't know she needed. She clenched her jaw and swallowed.

It was undeniably _thoughtful_ , and it made her feel equally flattered and annoyed.

"I– thank you," she muttered begrudgingly, glancing back at Quiche again. A flicker of something bright flashed across his gold irises. His smirk grew wider. Ichigo frowned. "But don't think this gives you the right to just show up in my bedroom whenever you want, creep."

Quiche let out a snort of laughter. "I resent that, kitten," he said. He uncrossed his arms and took one of Ichigo's hands in his. "Now would you just relax already?"

She swallowed the feeling of her stomach doing a backflip at his touch, and allowed him to lead her a few steps away – to the edge of the rooftop. The cold cement of the roof felt good on Ichigo's sweaty, sore feet. She looked down at her hand in his and wondered to herself what Quiche's motives were, bringing her here so spontaneously. Their dynamic felt like a tightrope walk between friendship and something dangerously more. Ichigo was curious to see what Quiche had to say, but a small voice in her head reminded her that " _curiosity killed the cat_."

Once at the edge of the roof, Quiche drifted up and over the concrete ledge, where he sat with ease. His legs dangled in the air as he leaned back on his arms. Ichigo looked over the ledge of the roof. Her toes curled when she saw they were nearly 20 stories off the ground.

"Ugh, I hate heights," she muttered.

"I didn't think you were such a scaredy-cat," Quiche teased. "After all, I can fly. It's not like you'll fall while I'm here."

Ichigo wrinkled her nose and peered over the ledge again. Quiche's challenge made her want to prove him wrong. She already felt frustratingly helpless in being abducted from her bedroom – and now she felt like she had something to prove. Not to mention her legs were sore from wearing the expensive, borrowed shoes from Mint. Her hips, calves and arches of her feet ached to give them a rest.

"I'm not a scaredy-cat, you jerk," Ichigo finally muttered. Slowly, she pushed up on her arms to give herself some height before swinging a leg over the ledge. She took care to keep the short skirt of her dress close to her legs as she swung the other leg over awkwardly. The relief on her legs was instantaneous, and the breeze in her face was heavenly. Her only mistake was looking down.

Ichigo's stomach soured as she saw how high up she was perched, the street life of urban Paris buzzing beneath her. The cars looked like toys; the people, like ants. She tried to relax her nerves and leaned back on her arms, focusing on the skyline ahead of her instead. She heard Quiche let out a snort of laughter from her side.

"You look like you're gonna be sick."

"Will you shut the hell up?" Ichigo snapped, glaring at Quiche next to her. He grinned.

"Kitty's got a temper, huh?" he chirped. "Bad day? What happened to that ring of yours?"

Ichigo suddenly remembered that the engagement ring was still in the pocket of her coat that she dropped on her bedroom floor. She hesitated to tell Quiche. She knew it would shatter any hope he was holding on to that she had broken off the engagement since they last spoke.

"I — it's in my coat pocket, at home," she said truthfully, staring into her lap. "I hide it from my parents when I'm around them."

Silence.

Ichigo stole a glance up at Quiche, whose grin had fallen off his face. His expression read as frustrated, maybe even annoyed.

"So you're still betrothed?"

"'Engaged'? Yeah," Ichigo said. She found herself staring down at her lap again.

"So I'm guessing he doesn't know yet. About last night." Quiche's words were sharp, full of ice.

Ichigo sighed. "No," she admitted. "I thought I would tell him on our date tonight, but I … I just couldn't. I don't know."

"Hm, maybe you are a scaredy-cat after all," Quiche murmured. Ichigo glanced up at him and saw he wore a ghost of a smirk on his face. His expression was far-off, as though he was thinking through something distant in his memory. She found herself wanting to grasp on to the string of vague humor and yank him back to reality.

"It's just like me to procrastinate on everything, though," she tried, smiling to herself. "Not starting my homework 'til midnight … catching the last train to make my shift at the café in time … waiting until the last possible day to fight with Aoyama …"

Quiche took the bait. His lips stretched into a smile again. He glanced back at Ichigo with a renewed spark in his eye. "So you _are_ going to tell him?" he asked.

It wasn't the question Ichigo expected. She shrugged half-heartedly, wanting to appear nonchalant. "I mean, I have to, don't I?"

She wasn't sure herself. Not half an hour ago she was talking herself into keeping her feelings for Quiche a secret from Masaya forever. But she knew that posing the question for Quiche was one way of avoiding answering his.

"Mm, not necessarily," Quiche replied. "Though if I were you, I would have told him tonight."

Ichigo frowned. "I know … I shouldn't keep putting it off."

Quiche let out a breath of air and grinned. Ichigo looked up at him curiously. "No, it's not that," he said. His eyes flicked up and down her body just briefly. "You could stab someone while wearing that dress and they'd probably say thank you."

Ichigo felt her face going red. She quickly hid it with what she hoped was a face of annoyance and averted her eyes to the skyline. _Deflect, Ichigo. Bury the flame._

"You're such a pest," she muttered. "What a weird compliment."

Ichigo gasped as she felt Quiche's fingers under her chin. He tilted her face up and towards him so that their eyes met.

"Fine, I can try again," he purred. "I could wax poetic about you all evening. Or, we could skip all of that, and go straight to the part where we do more than just talk."

He was getting bolder. A little too bold. Ichigo made a face and pulled her chin away from his grasp. "Don't do that," she muttered. "I'm still engaged. You can't just say things like that."

"You're not any more engaged now than you were last night," Quiche pointed out. Ichigo blew her bangs out of her face and sighed. He was holding their kiss over her head again. She was beginning to resent him for it.

"It doesn't matter," Ichigo said stubbornly. "You're making this harder than it needs to be. For both of us."

She turned back towards the roof and swung both legs over the ledge. She hopped off, landing on the cold concrete with her bare feet. Smoothing the skirt of her dress, Ichigo could feel Quiche's eyes on her. Her familiar guards were up. Her emotions were once again packed into a neat corner of her mind. The imaginary apartment in London weighed like a blanket on her thoughts. She wanted to go home and sleep.

"You're the one making this difficult for yourself, you know," Quiche said. Ichigo crossed her arms and glared at him as he turned to face her, still perched on the ledge of the roof. He raised one eyebrow and studied her carefully. "You'd really rather go along with whatever Aoyama wants?"

"Oh sure, like _you_ know what I want!" Ichigo snapped. "Quit trying to act like you have me all figured out!"

"No offense, kitten, but you're not hard to read," Quiche countered. He tilted his head to one side. "You don't have to be so stubborn. It's written all over your face."

Ichigo scowled. Was she really that easy to read, or was Quiche just trying to get a rise out of her? Regardless, she began to feel her guardrail of apathy cracking. She felt her thoughts flowing more freely to her tongue in a perfect storm of fatigue and frustration.

"Ok, so what if I want to just keep the peace with Aoyama and move to London? What's so bad about that?" Ichigo countered. She found herself staring out into the skyline again. "I mean, it's not like I can just spend my life working at a café, hanging out with my friends all day! Like I could just, I don't know, just spend my time traveling to places like this all the time? I mean, that's just not how the world works!"

She let out a long breath and clenched her jaw. The sound of cars in the streets below and muffled music in the distance filled her ears for a few moments.

"For you, it can be," Quiche said finally. Ichigo's eyes snapped to him. He continued to watch her carefully, like he was trying to read her expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ichigo huffed. She tightened her arms around herself and leaned back against the concrete ledge of the roof, a couple steps to Quiche's left.

"Hm, I'll explain," Quiche started. Ichigo glanced over and watched him pluck a tiny white flower growing from a mossy crack in the cement ledge. His long, slender fingers began to coax a small, winding vine in its place as he spoke. "It's a long story, but I'll start with the hair-brained scheme Pie dreamed up when he planned on coming here."

Ichigo cocked her head to one side, curious. _A scheme?_

"So … to begin," Quiche started, "our planet has always been rich in things like precious gems, and our people are quite talented with working with them. Since we used to live below ground, mining and blacksmithing has been a part of our culture for some time. Things like refining and setting gems, working with precious metals … that sort of thing."

He paused his toying with the small plant and lifted his palm up in front of him. Ichigo watched a long, thin dagger appear in his hand. She flinched, but quickly remembered that Quiche no longer posed a threat to her. Quiche studied the weapon for a moment before extending it to Ichigo. She gingerly took it from him, taking care not to touch the sharp blade. It was surprisingly heavy in her hands. She tilted it in the light and stared in wonder at the intricate filigree carved into the hilt. A complicated design of thorned roses curled from the base of the hilt to the blade. A creature that looked something like a snake – no, a dragon, Ichigo realized – curled in and out of the design. It was undeniably stunning.

"It's beautiful," Ichigo murmured. She lifted the dagger back up to Quiche, who took it from her carefully. A corner of his mouth turned up as he caught her eye for a brief moment.

"It was given to me as a gift when I got the assignment to come here," he said, glancing down at the dagger once more. He twirled it between his fingers casually, then waved his palm so that it disappeared into thin air. A sudden memory jumped out in Ichigo's brain and she stiffened.

"Wait, you – you almost killed me with that thing!" Ichigo sputtered. "On the first day we met! After you turned all of those zoo animals into chimeras!"

Ichigo recalled how different everything was back then; the memory seemed like it was a lifetime ago. But she distinctly remembered looking up at Quiche as he ran his tongue over the blade. The icy cold feeling in her veins as he told her: " _It's nothing personal, but keeping you alive will get me in trouble later."_ It was the same dagger as back then. The thin, deadly, beautiful thing she had just held in her hands.

Quiche let out a "hmm" in amusement. "You remembered," he remarked. "Yes, it's the same blade." He paused for a moment, as though ruminating over the same memory Ichigo had just visited. "Anyway, that's besides the point. After Pie, Tart and I delivered the Mew Aqua to our planet and were made princes, we all were granted access to a vast trove of beautiful artifacts, like the one you just held, as part of the thanks for our heroism. Things like precious gems, jewelry, swords, the like.

"Of course, it didn't take long after our planet was restored and we had all settled into our roles for Pie to start planning on how we would make our return to Earth. He had some kind of idea that he would be staying longer, or he at least hoped to. He wanted to find a way to build a foundation of sorts ... some kind of occupation, or security here on Earth to be able to travel back and forth at will."

Quiche paused for a moment. Ichigo was entranced with his words, quickly beginning to connect parts of his story to what she already knew about the alien boys. Two details immediately stood out to her: Why would Pie make plans to travel back and forth to Earth whenever he wanted? And how long had he been planning to return? There was really only one explanation, and it stunned Ichigo.

"Wait, but that means Pie–"

"... came back to be with Midorikawa, yes," Quiche finished, glancing over at Ichigo with a grin on his face. "Although he'd never admit it in a million years. He tried to rationalize his plans to come back to Earth in other ways, but Tart and I knew. We knew the entire time."

The corner of Ichigo's mouth turned up into a smile. She thought of how Lettuce and Pie danced at the gala. The look of pure joy on Pie's face. She wondered to herself how long he had waited for a moment like that with Lettuce. The happy thought made her heart flutter.

"So," Quiche continued, "when we finally made plans to return, Pie brought a small portion of some of the gems and artifacts from our planet back with us. Apparently, he's been working on selling them to brokers around Tokyo. From what he's told me, it's gone quite well. He's amassed a small fortune in your local currency in the short time we've been here, and he's been able to turn it into something of an operation. Something called 'investing'? I'm not sure if that means anything to you, but it's pretty impressive what he's done in such a short period of time. I didn't think he could actually pull it off."

Quiche had resumed toying with the delicate plant growing out of the concrete. Small, green buds began to form along the stem. Ichigo watched the plant grow absent-mindedly as she raced to understand everything Quiche was telling her.

"So what do you mean with all of this?" Ichigo prodded. "What does Pie's plan have to do with me?"

Quiche's slender hand raised the small plant a few centimeters higher. Then, he snapped his fingers, and the buds on the plant burst open into small, white flowers. They looked just like the one he had plucked from the spot minutes before. Ichigo watched in fascination as her question hung in the air. She glanced up at Quiche and realized he was already staring at her. She blushed under his intense gaze of gold. His cat-like pupils widened slightly.

"You're the champion of Earth, Ichigo," he murmured. "You saved this world, and you shouldn't have to play by its rules."

He was using her first name again. Ichigo furrowed her brow as Quiche continued, turning his attention to growing the leaves of the plant. "You humans poisoned your planet in the pursuit of money and success. Everything sick and toxic on your planet comes from the greed of its people. You shouldn't feel bound to the same expectations of what it takes to be happy in your strange, twisted society. And I can make sure you never have to. "

The pieces of the puzzle began to click into place. "Wait," Ichigo asked quietly, "what are you saying?"

Quiche plucked one of the white flowers from the plant and twirled it in his fingers as he let Ichigo's question hang in the air for a moment. Ichigo watched him curiously as she slowly began to grasp the meaning behind his words.

His eyes flicked back to her as he spoke. "I can make your life whatever you want it to be, Ichigo. Anything you could possibly want in this world or another, it's yours. Anything."

Ichigo drew a deep breath as Quiche reached over and gently, carefully tucked the white flower behind her ear. He swept a lock of her hair back with his hand. His fingertips grazed the side of Ichigo's face, and it sent a shiver up her spine. She felt frozen in place, like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

Quiche's touch lingered on her jaw, his eyes flicking back and forth between hers. "I could even make you a princess, if you wanted."

Swallowing the knot in her throat, Ichigo scrambled to find her wits again without leaning into the fiery feeling of Quiche's fingertips under her chin. Quickly, she took a step back and tore herself away from his touch. She knew she had to focus. She couldn't allow a repeat of the night before. But her thoughts felt like a whirlpool again, one she found herself getting hopelessly lost in. How was it that he could always draw her in so easily with his words? How did he always manage to steal her speech?

What Quiche was offering her almost sounded too good to be true, but Ichigo knew he wasn't lying. " _Anything you could possibly want in this world or another, it's yours."_

She thought of last night on the roof of the café. The way he looked at her after she had asked him to stay on Earth.

" _For you, anything."_

Ichigo felt something prick at her skin on one arm. Then again, on her shoulder. She realized it was beginning to rain. The feeling of the warm droplets on her skin startled her out of her daze. The world seemed to snap into focus.

"If this is another marriage proposal, you're going to be disappointed," she mumbled finally, crossing her arms under her chest. _Keep it together, Ichigo._

Quiche smirked. The spark was back in his eye, the serious look gone from his expression. "Mmm, I know better than that, kitten," he replied in a low tone. He hopped off the ledge of the roof. Ichigo flinched and took a step back. "A fickle cat isn't so easily put on a leash."

He extended a hand to Ichigo. She glared down at it, then back up into his entrancing gold stare. She wondered what he was doing. Was he offering to bring her home again? Frowning, Ichigo slowly, carefully extended her hand and slipped it in his.

Instead of teleporting, Quiche lifted Ichigo's hand high and turned her in a twirl. She obliged, spinning in a circle like they had in their dance just under a week ago. Quiche spun her back to him and pulled her closer, placing a hand on her waist and leading her in the familiar steps of their dance from the gala. Ichigo found herself floating through the steps on the cold cement roof just as easily as she had on the glossy floor of the café. She went along with the dance – part confused, part curious.

It was starting to rain harder now. The concrete around them grew dark and wet, the thick smell of a storm settling in over the city.

Quiche's voice cut through the pattering rain around them.

"When I learned how to dance a few months ago, my teacher told me most people who are bad dancers are thinking too hard," he called over the drumming of the rain. He spun Ichigo outwards again, and her feet seemed to carry her in a wide circle effortlessly. "If you overthink it, you're not listening to your instinct. If you overthink it, you'll lose your footing."

Ichigo spun back around to Quiche and returned to his arms. Of course the spontaneous dancing was a metaphor – _everything_ seemed like a riddle with Quiche. Raindrops trickled down the front of Ichigo's dress and sent little chills running down her skin. She locked eyes with Quiche and found herself lost in his gaze once more.

In that strange moment, barefoot in the pouring rain, Quiche gripped Ichigo's hand tighter – and she felt like everything was just as it should be. Her hair sticking to her face, her makeup a mess, and her dress ruined, something deep in her heart let out a sigh of relief. A childlike, joyful bliss that she was there – _present_ – in that moment. In that moment, it was just past 3PM on Monday, and she was on a rooftop somewhere far away from all of her troubles. Far away from the pressure of applying to universities, from the stress of the secrets kept close to her chest, from the enormous pressure of _saving the world_.

She was 17 years old, and for the first time in almost two weeks, she felt like it.

Ichigo's lips split into a smile.

"It'd help if I was at least wearing shoes!" she laughed. She glanced down and saw the sopping black fabric of the dress sticking to her legs. "And Mint is going to kill me for ruining her dress!"

Quiche grinned; his sharp canines glinted in the light. "Overthinking, kitten – you're doing it again!"

Ichigo let out another laugh. "But I–"

Suddenly, a loud sound echoed across the rooftop and cut through the noise of the pattering rain. Quiche grabbed Ichigo and held her against him. Both of their attention turned to the door flung open at what looked like a stairwell entrance. A middle-aged man with curly, dark hair squinted into the rain at Quiche and Ichigo. He yelled something at them, but Ichigo couldn't understand it.

"I don't suppose you speak French?" Ichigo said, gripping the front of Quiche's soaked shirt. She was suddenly aware of how their bodies were pressed against each other. She felt him laugh against her.

"You kidding? Japanese is hard enough!"

The man yelled something else at them, and began advancing towards them from the center of the roof. Ichigo felt Quiche grip her tighter, then release her. She looked up at him just as he stooped down and picked her up to carry her. She let out a yelp of surprise and looped her arms around his neck to steady herself.

"Hang on tight, kitten!" Quiche called.

"W-wait, what?" Ichigo squeaked, eyes wide. Quiche turned around to face the edge of the roof. Then, in a few quick strides, he jumped to the ledge with Ichigo in his arms and lept off.

Ichigo shrieked as they fell through the air for a split second. Then, in the next, she felt the familiar sinking weight in her stomach from teleporting. She screwed her eyes shut and swallowed her fear, her teeth clenched. She felt weightless, suspended in the air for a few moments. Then, she suddenly landed on her back – on something soft. Ichigo gasped and opened her eyes to inky darkness. As her vision adjusted to the low light, she realized she was back in her bedroom. And she was on her bed. With Quiche crouched on top of her.

She drew a deep breath as the gold in his eyes caught the dim moonlight streaming in from the glass door to her balcony. It was deadly quiet except for the sound of their breathing falling in sync. Ichigo swore she could hear her heartbeat hammering in her ears. Adrenaline coursed through her body from the fall just seconds ago.

A drop of water landed on her collarbone, then another on her cheek. She remembered they were both soaking wet. Another drop landed on the corner of one of her eyes; she screwed her eye shut and slowly lifted one hand to brush some of Quiche's dripping, wet hair away from his face. She saw Quiche swallow hard. Then, he leaned forward to close the gap between them.

Without thinking, Ichigo quickly pushed her hand up against his mouth to stop him. She drew a deep breath and bit her lip as he backed away with a confused look in his eye. He looked hurt, dazed.

"Quiche, you can't … we're not …" Ichigo started in a low murmur.

With the familiar smells of her childhood bedroom around her and the dark of the night outside, Ichigo felt like she had just been transported back to reality. Back to responsibilities. Back to what she knew. It hurt her to turn Quiche away, but she knew deep down that she couldn't keep playing with fire. She had already gone too far.

Quiche sat back on his knees and let out a long, frustrated breath, averting his eyes to the moonlight outside. He swept his wet hair back with one hand. Ichigo curled her legs into herself and sat up straighter, watching him carefully, unsure of what to say. An air of _wrongness_ settled in around them. Ichigo didn't know if it was her own guilt over the night with Quiche, or if it was her sudden rejection just now.

She saw Quiche lock his jaw as his eyes flicked back to her.

"Fine, kitten ... have it your way," he murmured. He leaned forward just slightly; Ichigo felt her muscles tense. Quiche reached towards her and tilted her chin up with one finger. Her skin prickled. She shivered under his touch. "Think about what I've told you. I'd hate to see you playing by someone else's rules."

His finger slipped out from under her chin. He tilted his head to one side, his bright, luminous eyes narrowing. Ichigo could swear she forgot how to breathe.

"'Night, Ichigo," he said quietly. Ichigo watched the air around his body shimmer and grow distorted. In the next second he was gone, the weight from his body lifting from her mattress.

The air in her bedroom felt cold. Ichigo shivered, a chill dancing across her skin. She was suddenly conscious of how her rain-soaked dress clung to her like an uncomfortable second skin. She was freezing, and exhausted. _Need to get this thing stupid dress off,_ she thought. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, Ichigo stood on unsteady legs and crossed her bedroom to close her curtains. Then, she unzipped the dress and peeled it off slowly, carefully.

Only when she was holding the wet, dripping mess of fabric in her hands did Ichigo catch her dimly-lit reflection in her bedroom mirror. Her wildcat abilities gave her an inhuman ability to see well at night, she knew. But she surprised herself for a moment at the detail in which she studied her reflection in the inky darkness of her room.

Her hair was a soaking mop of ruby red, dripping and clinging to the sides of her face. Her mascara was smudged around her eyes. Sometime over the course of the night, her ears and tail had made an appearance. She didn't know when; she wondered vaguely to herself whether the man on the rooftop in Paris had seen her cat features. Finally, Ichigo noticed that the concealer on her neck had washed off. The small red love bite on her neck was clearly visible as she tilted her head to one side. She let out a long sigh and grazed her fingertips over the splotchy mark. It stung to the touch. Frowning, Ichigo wondered to herself how long it would last before fading.

She looked like a mess, and she felt like one too.

Suddenly remembering what she had to do tomorrow, Ichigo glanced over at the clock on her desk. _11:08._

She had almost exactly 24 hours to make a decision about London, and about her engagement. _A decision,_ she reminded herself. _You can't let things continue as they are now_. Quiche had made that clear to her tonight. She couldn't keep stringing both Masaya and Quiche along. It was unfair – and cruel to both of them, but especially to Masaya. Sweet, caring, handsome and kind Masaya Aoyama, who had done nothing but dote on her for the 3 years they had been together.

Ichigo looked down at her tan coat discarded on her bedroom floor. The diamond ring was still buried in one of its pockets. She lifted her left hand and stared at the bare spot on her finger.

After 14 days of being the fickle cat, Ichigo knew it all had to come to an end. Tomorrow. Masaya's last day in Tokyo, and Ichigo's last day to come clean. All of the secrets, the confusion, the push and the pull.

_No more,_ Ichigo told herself.

She thought of the way Masaya held her hand in the towncar on their way home from their date.

She thought of the way Quiche looked at her as he tucked the small white flower behind her ear.

_No longer._

_Tomorrow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure this is the most self-indulgent chapter I’ve written so far. I hope your teeth aren’t rotting out of your head after all of that sweet, sweet fluff. 
> 
> Quick note here that we are nearing the end of this fic! I have four normal chapters planned in the story, plus an epilogue chapter after that. I am hoping that I can start updating a little faster – chapter 19 should be out within a week if I stay on schedule with my editing. Thanks for your patience while I’m a little slower to update. Appreciate all of you so much!


	19. Last Day in Tokyo

Ichigo had half-hoped that when she woke up on Tuesday, she would find her mind made up and her conscience clear. She had slept like a rock, her exhaustion from the night sinking her into a deep, dreamless sleep. But as she drifted through her classes at school, Ichigo found herself hardly able to focus, her thoughts bouncing around her head like a pinball machine.

Ichigo glanced up at the clock on the wall of her pre-calculus classroom. _2:30._

She could have sworn it was 2 PM just moments ago. _Why is time moving so fast?_ Ichigo thought to herself in frustration. She tapped her pen against the side of her head and chewed the inside of her cheek.

Her path forward was far from obvious, and Ichigo found herself more confused than ever as she struggled to focus in her last class of the day. She mindlessly copied down the formula for a trigonometric function she only half-understood. She didn't know whether her stressed, half-crazed mind wanted her to focus on product-to-sum formulas (" _I really, really need to pass this class if I want to get into the university in London that Masaya helped me apply to over the weekend!"_ ) or if she wanted to throw her notebook out the window in frustration (" _I'm the leader of the mews! Why the heck do I have to care about triangles so much?"_ )

After she copied down the formula on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom, Ichigo drew a simple T-chart in the margins of her notebook. She wrote "pros" on one side of the T, and "cons" on the other. She sighed in disbelief that she was actually filling out a stupid pros/cons list in order to make of the biggest decisions of her life. She wrote a title above the list.

" _London"_

Under "pros", Ichigo penned in: "Together with Masaya". It was the obvious benefit. The one that seemed simplest in her mind. Masaya still felt like her best friend. It would be devastating to give him up. She could hardly fathom how she could ever break his heart.

She wrote two more things under "pros" – "Good universities" and "New adventures."

_New adventures,_ Ichigo thought to herself. _That's one way of saying it._

She recalled the time she tried to ask for directions around downtown London. She had gotten on the wrong bus on her way to meet Masaya at his research lab a half-mile from student housing. Ichigo remembered calling Masaya in tears, panicked and afraid, because her English was incomprehensible to the kind strangers trying to help her.

The embarrassing memory felt like a punch to the gut. Ichigo wrote "Bad English" under the "cons" list. It would take a lot more than a few months to get her English to a comfortable level of fluency.

She added another line under the "cons" side of the list – "Away from friends." After her talk with Mint and Lettuce, Ichigo knew this would be one of the most difficult drawbacks. And she was unlikely to make a whole lot of new friends in London, considering the previous line item.

Ichigo added "Away from family" next. She could use the space away from them sometimes, but living so far away from her mom and dad would be hard. Their time zones didn't even align in the slightest.

Letting out a small sigh, Ichigo stared at the last two line items under "cons." She moved over to the "pros" list and added another line: "Away from Quiche."

It didn't feel right under "pros." At least, not after she wrote it down. Despite his incessant pestering, teasing and playing with her emotions, Quiche had taken no time at all showing Ichigo that he was hopelessly devoted to her. She had been replaying their conversation from the night before in her head all day. " _Anything you could possibly want in this world or another, it's yours."_

He was in love with her, and Ichigo would be lying if she didn't admit to herself that she felt _something_ between them. Something entirely different from what she felt with Masaya.

Ichigo bit her lip. Something different.

Her connection with Masaya had always felt like a warm blanket – comforting, warm and familiar. Soft, friendly.

Her connection with Quiche felt like she was walking around covered in gasoline, and he was a box of matches. Whenever they got too close – like they had last night – Ichigo felt like she would burst into flame if she wasn't careful. Their chemistry felt like a series of small explosions. Hot, bright, loud and all-consuming.

Ichigo's pen moved to the "cons" list. She wrote: "Away from Quiche." The statement sat under both columns, glaring up at her accusingly.

_I suck at these lists,_ Ichigo thought to herself dejectedly. She twirled her pen in her fingertips.

Suddenly, the school bell chimed over the speakers. Ichigo nearly jumped out of her seat. Her eyes flew to the clock. _2:45? Was I spacing out for that long?_ Ichigo slapped her notebook shut, not even glancing at the failed pros/cons list in its margins as she stuffed it in her bookbag. She slung her bag over her shoulder and drifted out of the classroom, dreading the walk to the café. Time was running out, and the clock only seemed to be moving faster as the day went on.

The last thing Ichigo expected to see when she descended the steps of her high school entrance was the smiling face of Masaya Aoyama. He was waiting for her at the entrance of her school, holding a bouquet of yellow and purple wildflowers in his arms. A happy warmth blossomed in her heart, but it was quickly squashed by the crushing weight of the decisions she knew she had to make.

Lost in his deep brown eyes, Ichigo found herself drifting towards her fiancé with open arms. Even now, she ached for his comforting embrace, where she always felt safe and taken care of. Where things felt familiar. Where things felt easy.

"Aoyama!" Ichigo laughed nervously as she enveloped him in a warm, tight hug. "You surprised me! I thought I was meeting you at the café!"

Masaya released her from their embrace and smiled down at Ichigo warmly. "I thought I'd drop by school instead. After all, I want to spend as much time as I can with you today."

It was a sweet gesture, and gave Ichigo some small piece of comfort in having as much time as possible. Masaya handed Ichigo the bouquet, which she accepted with a smile. She noticed out of the corner of her vision that her classmates were whispering and giggling around her. They were undoubtedly gossiping about her and Masaya. They were, after all, their high school's most unlikely couple. The weird, awkward redhead girl who constantly fell asleep in class, and the handsome kendo star with perfect grades and a fan club of his own. Ichigo knew they were an odd match, but high school gossip didn't bother her too much anymore. She smelled the bouquet, inhaling the sweet smell of honeysuckle, peonies and … lavender.

_Damn it, why did it have to have lavender?_

Ichigo shoved the memory from the café kitchen back to the recess of her mind and smiled warmly up at Masaya. "The flowers are beautiful," she purred. She tucked the bouquet into the crook of one arm and took Masaya's hand in hers. They began to walk, falling into the stream of students leaving the school grounds.

Holding Masaya's hand in hers, Ichigo's mind quickly returned to the feeling of holding it at dinner the night before. She plunged into the vision of their imaginary apartment in London. It felt like a body of water around her thoughts, comforting and warm. She could almost smell the pine boards. She could picture unpacking boxes together, laughing over their lack of furniture. She imagined ordering a pizza and eating it on the floor, like she'd seen in rom-com movies growing up.

It all seemed too close, just within reach. So soon. But was it really just a vision after all? Would it all remain a distant dream?

Ichigo found herself folding into her easy conversation with Masaya on their walk to the café, tucking herself into his words like how her mother used to tuck her into bed when she was little. It was so easy to lose herself in their easy conversations about jet lag and bad airport food. She was only halfway paying attention to their banter as she focused intently on distilling her feelings into a simple answer of whether this was worth it. Worth leaving her friends, family, city and everything she knew behind.

But isn't love always worth it? Isn't love the most important part of life? Shouldn't it be the most important part of hers?

Ichigo found the image of the apartment in London growing clearer in her mind as they began to approach Café Mew Mew. She heard herself go quiet, a singular thought silencing the rest of the chatter in her mind.

She couldn't bear to break the engagement.

Ichigo squeezed Masaya's hand and released it. He looked down at her curiously as she pulled the diamond ring out of a small inner pocket of her bookbag. She slipped it on her finger and admired the way it glistened in the light.

_Yes, this is good._

She glanced up at Masaya, and he smiled down at her like he was made of sunshine.

"Ready to head in?" he asked her. Ichigo heaved a sigh as they approached the red doors of the café. Something that felt like panic clawed at her gut like an animal in a cage. It snarled and bit at her conscience as she stared up at the doors of the place she'd spent so much time making so many mistakes over the last 14 days.

"Yeah, ready!" Ichigo chirped, beaming up at Masaya. She adjusted the bouquet in her arm and pushed open one of the doors.

She had hardly peered inside before she was greeted with an explosion of party poppers and screams of "SURPRISE!" Ichigo laughed as little pink and white pieces of confetti drifted down around her and Masaya. Through the cloud of pink and white, Ichigo beamed when she saw Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, Zakuro, Berry, Tasuku, Ryou and Keiichiro grinning back at her. She also spotted Tart lingering towards the back behind Pudding, looking less than enthusiastic.

"Wow, thank you all!" Masaya laughed, leading Ichigo further into the café and into the circle of their friends. "I think we're both definitely surprised."

"Good, because Pudding just about ruined it asking about the cake in front of Ichigo!" Berry chimed in, shooting an accusatory look in Pudding's direction. Pudding waved her off with a hand.

"Pfft, nah! Pudding throws the best surprise parties!" she said. She grinned up at Masaya, her hands on her hips. "You can thank me later for the cake! I know you'll love it!"

Ichigo felt a hand on her arm. She turned to see Lettuce at her side, smiling warmly up at her. She could see something else behind her eyes – worry, curiosity.

"Did you bring a change of clothes?" Lettuce asked cheerily, glancing down at her school uniform. Ichigo realized that her and Mint were probably dying to know what happened at their date the night before. She nodded and turned to Masaya.

"Hey, I'm going to go get changed," she said. She dropped her bookbag off her shoulder and held it in her hands. "I'll be back in a few!"

Masaya nodded, still grinning from the revel of their grand entrance to the café. "Sounds good!" Ichigo passed her bouquet to her fiancé and set off with Lettuce.

Lettuce and Ichigo stole off to the back hall as the rest of the party began to dish out plates and pick at the snacks carefully laid out on a cluster of café tables. Ichigo let her shoulders slump, her jaw unclenching as she felt less people looking her way. Lettuce's hand rested between her shoulder blades. They stopped in front of the door to the restroom.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Lettuce asked, tilting her head to one side. She wasn't smiling anymore. "I know this might be … a lot."

Ichigo shook her head. "It's okay, really," she said in a low voice, careful not to speak too loudly. "We're working things out."

Lettuce bit her lip. She looked surprised. "So you told him everything? And he was okay with it?"

Ichigo averted her eyes. "I–well … no, not exactly," she stammered. "I didn't tell him about what happened the other night. I don't know. I just don't want to mess it all up again. I'll tell him about all of it, just … not now. I don't have time."

Lettuce clenched her jaw. Ichigo saw the conflict swirling in her eyes, like she had a million things she wanted to say, but was unsure about how to say any of them. "Mm, okay," Lettuce finally murmured, averting her eyes and glancing back at the party. She returned her attention to Ichigo in the next moment. "How about you get changed then? We should celebrate, since things are back to working out again."

She smiled up at Ichigo warmly, but Ichigo could sense there was more Lettuce wanted to say. She decided to drop it for now.

"Sure, I'll meet you out there!" Ichigo chirped. She wrapped Lettuce in a strong hug. "Thanks for being there for me. It means more than you know."

Ichigo could feel Lettuce nod against her shoulder. Lettuce pulled back from the embrace and cocked her head to one side, smiling. "Of course, Ichigo. You know I'll always have your back."

"Because that's what best friends are for," Ichigo finished, her smile growing wider. Lettuce nodded and let out a long breath.

"Right!"

"I'll see you out at the party," Ichigo said, opening the door to the restrooms. Lettuce waved and took two steps back before turning away.

A nagging thought presented itself to Ichigo as she watched Lettuce walk back to the party. Lettuce had something that looked like a letter tucked into the back pocket of her jeans. A brief vision of white flowers and rain filled Ichigo's mind. " _It's a long story, but I'll start with the hair-brained scheme Pie dreamed up when he planned on coming here."_

"Hey Lettuce?" Ichigo called after her friend. Lettuce stopped and turned around, blinking at Ichigo curiously. Ichigo tilted her head to one side as Lettuce came a few steps closer. "I—um," she started again, "...do you know anything about whether the alien boys have some kind of plan to stay here longer? Like, after we figure out what's going on with the chimeras? Quiche said something weird to me the other day, and I was curious if Pie has mentioned anything like that to you."

Lettuce thought carefully, her eyes trailing up and to the right. She bit her lip and exhaled slowly as she appeared to search her memory. After a few moments, her gaze returned to Ichigo and she shook her head.

"You know, not really," she murmured. "I feel like I would have remembered it if he had. Though of course, I wouldn't mind if Pie stayed for a while."

She giggled and clasped her hands in front of her. Ichigo replayed her conversation with Quiche in her mind just briefly. She wondered if she should just tell Lettuce about it outright. But another part of her insisted that if Pie hadn't told Lettuce yet, there had to be a reason. What good would it do to interfere in their relationship? Best to keep quiet and let Pie go along with his plans as he saw fit.

Ichigo smiled warmly at Lettuce and nodded. "Yeah, of course. He makes you really happy. I hope he stays too." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Wait, where is Pie anyway?"

Lettuce shrugged and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I think he's talking with Quiche about something. He pulled Quiche aside a few minutes before you and Aoyama arrived. They've been in the upper rooms since, as far as I know."

"Hm," Ichigo hummed curiously. She could only guess at what they were discussing, and she wasn't sure it could be anything good.

Ichigo sighed and raised her tone to a normal speaking volume. "Anyway, sorry for the weird question. I'll see you out at the party?"

"Sure! See you in a few."

Ichigo closed the bathroom door and quickly changed into the lightweight white pullover and jean shorts she packed in her school bag. She replaced her uniform in the bag and slung it over her shoulder before returning to the party. She dropped her bag in a corner by one of the tables. Masaya caught her eye across the room. He was chatting with Zakuro about something and picking at a piece of chocolate cake with a fork. Ichigo smiled as she caught his eye.

She wondered what Zakuro was talking to him about. A small part of her wished he would go back to London already, so that she could swallow the paranoia of someone spilling her secrets to him. But she knew that she could trust Mint and Lettuce to keep their conversation between them ... with the addition of Zakuro, in case Mint had decided to tell her girlfriend. Ichigo picked up a chocolate-covered strawberry and wondered vaguely if Zakuro could already guess what was going on, even without Mint telling her. She was, after all, one of the smartest of the mews.

Ichigo walked up to Zakuro and Masaya just as Masaya laughed at something she said. Zakuro looked down at Ichigo with a small smirk.

"Do you actually like strawberries? Or do you just eat them because of your name?"

Ichigo shrugged and popped the rest of the chocolate strawberry into her mouth. She chewed for a moment, swallowed and grinned. "I actually like strawberries, you know! Don't you also like to eat pomegranates?"

"I hate pomegranates," Zakuro replied stiffly. She rolled her eyes. "The juice stains my teeth. And the fruit is only good if you pile sugar on it. What a useless fruit."

Ichigo and Masaya both laughed. Ichigo felt Masaya grab her hand as she caught her breath and smiled. "Well, do you hate your name, then? What would you rather it be?"

"Hey, mews! We've got a situation!"

Ryou's voice sounded in a bellowing yell from the other side of the room. Ichigo, Masaya and Zakuro turned and gathered with the rest of the party-goers as Ryou looked at something on his phone.

"What's going on?" asked Mint. She came to stand next to Zakuro and grabbed her arm.

"We just detected some chimera activity not far from here," Ryou said, scrolling through his phone. His face was twisted in a concerned scowl. "It's not good. Looks to be some kind of cluster of activity."

"Wait, like, more than one chimera?" Ichigo interjected. She felt Masaya squeeze her hand tighter.

"Yes," Ryou replied. He glanced up at Ichigo. "A lot of them. Small, but there looks to be hundreds of them. They all appeared at once, in the same place."

Ichigo clenched her jaw in worry. Hundreds? All at once? She wondered what kind of chimera would move in a _swarm_.

"Talk about bad timing!" Pudding whined. "We can still have the party later, right?"

"Right!" Ichigo agreed. She glanced around at her team, putting on an encouraging smile. She knew this was the time to appear confident, resolute. "We'll take care of this quick, so we can all get back to the party!"

"Alright, Tokyo Mew Mew," Ryou called, putting away his phone, "roll out!"

Ichigo released Masaya's hand and dug into the pocket of her shorts for her mew pendant. She kissed its warm metal surface and felt her power surging through her. The room suddenly grew hot and bright as all of the mews transformed at once.

"Mew Mew Ichigo!"

"Mew Mew Mint!"

"Mew Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Mew Pudding!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro!"

"Mew Mew Berry!"

"METAMORPHOSIS!"

Ichigo felt her body change as the familiar warm strength from her wildcat genes swept through her veins. She landed on her feet again and shook the starry feeling out of her changed eyes. The rest of the mews finished transforming soon after, donning their colorful mew uniforms. Ichigo felt Masaya take her hand again.

"Shirogane!" Ichigo called to her boss. "Where are we headed?"

"You're going to the east end of Yoyogi park," Ryou replied. "It's 15 minutes from here if you're fast."

"Rodger!" Berry chirped, taking two steps back towards the door. "Let's get going!"

The rest of the mews ran to the door and out into the warm spring air, with Tart flying above them. Ichigo, seeing the rest of the mews head out, squeezed Masaya's hand and released it. She looked up at him and immediately saw the worry in his eyes.

"Aoyama, you have to stay here," Ichigo said reluctantly, grabbing Masaya's other hand in hers. "You can't transform on command. You almost got hurt last time. It's not safe."

"Ichigo, I'm not letting you go without me," Masaya insisted. He squeezed Ichigo's gloved hands tighter. "I can't just sit back while you're out there fighting."

"Yes, you can."

Quiche's sharp voice cut through their conversation like a knife. Ichigo sucked in a breath as she, Masaya, Ryou, Tasuku, and Keiichiro all turned to see Quiche and Pie jump from the second story railing and land on their feet gracefully. They were both in their battle uniforms. Ichigo could swear Quiche was trying to burn a hole through Masaya with his angry, fiery eyes. _If looks could kill._ She remembered that the two boys hadn't seen each other since Masaya punched Quiche in the face. The small mark under Quiche's eye was almost completely gone.

Quiche dusted his hands nonchalantly and rolled his neck, cracking it in two places.

"You're nothing more than dead weight out there," he continued, crossing his arms. "Without your powers, you're an obligation. Stay out of the way."

Pie clapped a hand on Quiche's shoulder. A warning. Ichigo saw Quiche's posture stiffen.

"What he means," Pie interjected, "is that we can't risk having to protect you in battle as well as fighting the chimeras. The recent attacks have been severe. If you can't fight, you need to stay behind with the other humans."

Ichigo looked up at Masaya. He looked furious. He met Ichigo's eyes just briefly before continuing, "I was able to help Ichigo in battle last time there was an attack, and I'll do it again! I need to be there to protect her!"

Quiche let out a snort of mocking laughter. "Don't worry," he bit back, "I've got that covered."

Ichigo felt her whole body going hot as Quiche and Masaya stared each other down. Tension crackled in the air between them. She clenched her jaw and drew a deep breath. They were wasting time.

"I don't want your help," Masaya snapped.

"With all due respect, _my lord,_ no one asked you."

_That's it._ Ichigo tore her hand out of Masaya's grip and took two steps forward.

"Will you two _SHUT IT?!_ " she screamed.

That shut them both up. Quiche blinked, surprised. Ichigo whirled around to see the hurt look on Masaya's face. She immediately felt guilty for yelling at him. He looked at her with soft brown eyes that melted her anger in an instant.

"Aoyama, I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured, taking one of his hands, "but we can't waste any more time. You can't come with us."

"If Aoyama needs to be there," came Ryou's voice suddenly, "then I'll go with him. It would be good to observe the battle anyway. We'll stay together."

Ichigo let out a breath of relief, nodding. The answer was good enough for her. She felt better with Ryou by Masaya's side. "Good, now let's go!" she said impatiently. She pulled Masaya's hand towards the open doors of the café.

"Keiichiro, Tasuku," Ryou called out as he began to follow, "monitor the chimera activity from here, and call me if you see anything unusual happening."

"You got it!" Tasuku replied with a grin.

Keiichiro waved and nodded encouragingly. "Be safe out there."

Ryou nodded back and followed Ichigo, Masaya, Pie and Quiche out the door. Once all five of them were out of the café, Ryou turned to look up at Pie.

"Pie, can you go ahead of us and find the girls? They could use your help once they arrive."

Pie nodded and lifted into the sky even further before disappearing into thin air. Ichigo, Masaya and Ryou continued running in the direction of the park, with Quiche flying overhead. Ichigo was keenly aware of the tension still hanging in their air as they wove through the trees of the café's park.

"Quiche," Ryou called to the alien boy flying overhead, "what can you tell me about the chimera we're about to see? Did you hear what I told the mews?"

Ichigo listened in curiously. She realized that Ryou had kept Quiche behind on purpose, to ask him questions about the chimera with Ichigo in earshot. She remembered what Ryou told her just a few nights ago, when Quiche was planning on leaving Earth.

" _Quiche is somewhat of a prodigy,"_ he had said _. "From what Pie tells me, it will be very, very hard to catalogue the exact properties of the chimeras in the way Quiche understands them. Apparently he is one of the best chimera summoners of their time."_

It made sense why Ryou would keep him close now, when the chimera they were about to face was so unusual. A half-minute of silence hung between the group as they wove through the outskirts of the city park. Their heavy breathing and footfalls were the only sounds between them.

"I heard enough," came Quiche's voice finally, from above them. Ichigo chanced a glance up at him briefly, and saw he was already looking at her. Thinking, planning. She quickly looked away.

Quiche continued: "There are two ways a chimera can show up in a cluster like that – by air, as an insect swarm, or by ground, as something like a colony or a network of living things."

Quiche paused as Ichigo, Masaya and Ryou broke out into the open air of the sidewalk. Ichigo dashed onto the sidewalk and continued her run towards the infected park with no hesitation, Masaya and Ryou close behind. Pedestrians stared at them as they ran by, parting for the trio on the ground and pointing at Quiche flying overhead. He was flying higher now, to try to avoid notice.

"If the cluster hasn't left the park," Quiche yelled down at them, "then we can rule out insects. They would have spread out immediately."

"Then you have an idea for what else it could be?" Ryou yelled up at him. He sounded slightly out of breath, his voice hoarse.

"Unfortunately, yes," Quiche yelled back.

Ichigo was only half paying attention as they came up to a busy intersection of cars. She stepped out into traffic and waved her arms to try to get them to stop. The cars slammed on their breaks, honking angrily as Ichigo dashed across the crosswalk with reckless abandon. "Sorry!" she yelled at the drivers, cringing. Ryou and Masaya followed behind her quickly and crossed to the other side of the road.

"Wait, what is it then?" Masaya yelled up at Quiche, impatient for an answer.

"If I'm right," Quiche called back, "you're in for a trip down memory lane. If I'm right, it's just like the chimera that nearly gassed out all of a park using the tree pollen alone."

Ichigo swallowed a sudden bout of fear as the memory flooded her mind. She remembered the day like it was yesterday – the trees in one of the downtown parks had been infected with a chimera, and Masaya was caught in the crossfire. He had almost found out her identity that day. Ichigo remembered using the healing properties of her Strawberry Bell for the first time, to cleanse the trees of the chimera infection.

On her return to the memory, Ichigo suddenly remembered how abruptly Quiche had left after she stripped the trees of all of their blossoms with her power. She remembered the strange, distant look in his eye as the petals fell and blew away around them.

The aliens never used an attack like that again. They never attacked Earth's natural plant life after that day.

Ichigo swallowed a knot in her throat and glanced over at Masaya. How strangely fitting it was for them to be together again, fighting a chimera infection that was likely to be similar to one they had encountered before – before Masaya knew she was a mew. One that had nearly killed Masaya, and one that was likely to be even more dangerous, now that Masaya's power was awakening from its slumber to rouse the chimeras from their dormancy.

Everything was different this time. And with this being Masaya's last day in Tokyo, it was likely that this was the last time Ichigo would fight against a threat like this with her whole team – at least, for a very long time. She clenched her jaw as she rounded a corner and saw the rest of her team at the east entrance of the park up ahead.

Their last big threat in Tokyo for a long, long time. Together, as Tokyo Mew Mew. And Ichigo wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told you I’d update faster this time! Under a week to update, woohoo! This chapter was a little easier to edit than the previous few.
> 
> Ok, I have another question for you all that I’d love your feedback on – I have been brainstorming an idea for a spinoff oneshot from this story that doesn’t fit in the general flow of Fickle Fourteen’s plot, but might be a nice companion fic. Essentially, I want to write Pie’s letter to Lettuce as its own fic (the one mentioned at the end of chapter 15 and referenced in the middle of this chapter).
> 
> It obviously wouldn’t be super long but I know a lot of you love Pie/Lettuce as a ship, so I want to know – would you read something like this? Because if so, I’d probably publish it before this fic is finished, sometime in the next few weeks so you can get a little slice of that companion fic before this story wraps up. Thoughts? Yay/nay? 
> 
> Thanks as always for reading, and for the comments & kudos!


	20. Not Alone

The first thing Ichigo realized as she approached the park was that it smelled _terrible_. The pungent smell of compost hung in the air – like rotting melon rinds mixed with manure. She coughed and held a hand over her face as she ran up to the rest of her team.

"What is that smell?" Ichigo cried. She coughed and waved her hand in front of her face. She heard Masaya and Ryou stop behind her as she looked around at the rest of the mews.

"It's super gross!" Pudding added. "Big bro Pie says it might be a bunch of bugs or something!"

"Pie, it's the trees," Quiche called out from the air above them. Ichigo looked up and watched Quiche perch on the top of one of the stone columns at the park entrance. Pie, still floating just above the ground, narrowed his eyes and glared up at Quiche. Quiche nodded to the park. "It's just like the chimera with the poisonous pollen. The one I created just before you and Tart first arrived on Earth. It has to be."

"It's not an insect?" Pie called back, glancing back at the park briefly. Tart crossed his arms next to Pie and listened intently.

"If it was an insect swarm, it would have spread out further from the park already," Quiche mused.

"Wait, is this the same chimera you attacked me with in the park a few years ago? With the poisonous pollen?" Masaya interjected. Ichigo drew a breath, tensing as Masaya yelled up at Quiche. "It can't be! All of the trees turned black during that attack!"

"You think I haven't thought of that, idiot?" Quiche barked back.

Ichigo glared up at Quiche. His eyes flicked to hers for a brief moment. He rolled his eyes and sighed before continuing.

"The parasites still on Earth aren't going to be _exactly_ like the ones we made a few years ago, but some of them are similar. This one sounds just like a prototype of the one I infected those trees with."

"Well, let's go check it out then!" Berry chirped. She bounded into the park and began to look around, with Pudding right behind her. The rest of the mews followed hesitantly, with Ichigo lingering at the back of the pack. The smell seemed to get stronger, more pungent the closer they got to the center of the huge city park. The visitors seemed to have already cleared out, much to Ichigo's relief. The smell must have been enough to drive out any tourists and park visitors.

Ichigo glanced over her shoulder and saw Ryou and Masaya walking side-by-side, eyeing their surroundings cautiously. As much as she hated to admit it, Quiche and Pie were right – having Ryou and Masaya at the scene of the battle was much too dangerous. She regretted letting them tag along.

"I don't see anything unusual," Lettuce remarked just ahead of Ichigo. "Other than the smell, everything looks strangely … normal?"

"Right," Ichigo agreed. "We can't let our guard down, though. We don't know exactly what this chimera can do, but it's not going to be easy."

"Wait, guys," Mint called from up ahead, "do you hear something weird? Like a crackling noise?"

Everyone stopped walking to listen. A faint chatter was barely audible over the city noise. It sounded like crinkling plastic, or popping popcorn. Ichigo looked around frantically, searching for the source of the sound.

Suddenly, Berry let out a shriek. "Everyone, get off the grass!"

The mews all looked down at their feet. There, Ichigo saw little green and brown mushrooms sprouting, swelling and bursting in puffs of gaseous fumes all around her feet. She coughed at the sudden smell and the disgusting visual – one that reminded her of popping a pimple. Ichigo found a patch of cobblestone to stand on, but soon the cracks between the stones were sprouting with the vile growth. As the mushrooms grew faster, the smell was almost overpowering. It was undoubtedly poisonous. Ichigo crinkled her nose and tried to focus.

"Don't stand in one place too long!" she barked at her team. She summoned her Strawberry Bell in one hand and whirled around to make sure her whole team had heard her. "We have to keep these things from growing too fast! Aim for the ground!"

"You got it!" Mint called out from beside her. She drew her bow and fired it at a patch of mushrooms that had managed to grow to an impressive foot and a half tall. The patch of fungi burst and wilted, but smaller mushrooms immediately began to grow in their place.

Ichigo turned just in time to see Pudding frantically firing her Pudding Ring Inferno into patches of grass, trying to contain the mushrooms to patches of grass. It appeared to be working to slow their growth, but the fungi seemed to grow up and around the gelatinous surface like a mold. Tart was just above Pudding, trying to stitch a cross-hatched web of vines over the ground to contain the fungi. But just like Pudding's Pudding Ring, Tart's vines only served to contain the growth for a few moments before it wiggled its way between the cracks of his creations.

Zakuro lashed out at the ground with her Zakuro Spear, but like Mint's Mint Echo, it only burnt the ground briefly before the fungi spread to cover the charred grass. All of their efforts seemed to be slowing the poisonous chimera, but unless they could find a way to stop the growth, it was sure to continue to spread.

Ichigo turned to see Ryou and Masaya backing out of the park, coughing. She was secretly relieved to see they were moving further away from the mews. Masaya caught her eye as he held his arm over his face, coughing.

"Masaya, wait for me outside the park!" Ichigo yelled to him. "We got this!"

For once, he didn't try to argue with her, only nodding before turning and running out to the entrance of the park with Ryou. Ichigo's shoulders relaxed in relief that Masaya was safe. She turned and surveyed the park again with an open mind.

_What could it be?_ she thought to herself as she scanned the chaos of the battle. _What's the key to destroying this thing?_ The last time she battled the chimera with the poisonous pollen, she had discovered her ability to use Strawberry Check Healing. Wondering to herself if the answer was really that simple, Ichigo readied her Strawberry Bell and rushed towards a larger patch of speckled brown and green mushrooms, now nearly a meter tall.

"Ribbon Strawberry Check … Healing!" she yelled. She felt a surge of power leave her weapon and erupt in a wave of pinkish light. Squinting into the light, Ichigo could see the mushrooms shrinking. She was momentarily thrilled at the sight of clean, uninfected grass around her. But no sooner had she let out a breath of relief than little brown mushrooms began to bubble to the surface again.

Ichigo groaned in frustration and retreated to a patch of cobblestone, scanning the park again for any hints. If Strawberry Check Healing hadn't worked to keep the chimera at bay, she wasn't hitting the chimera at its source.

_That's it_ , she thought. _I need to find the source._

Ichigo turned in a circle, scanning the horizon for anything unusual. She saw Pudding's Pudding Ring Inferno sprouting orange, gelatinous mounds all over the surface of the park. Pie and Quiche appeared to be flying overhead and trying to cover a large surface area with lightning. Lettuce followed closely behind them, using her Lettuce Rush to keep the trees from setting on fire in their wake.

This battle was going to be short if she didn't figure out how to defeat this chimera – and fast. The mews were being quickly overpowered, and the poisonous miasma would soon spread to the rest of the city.

Ichigo was about to give up on her pointless searching and go to help her friends when she noticed something unusual off to one side of the park. The mushrooms on that side were growing taller, thicker than the rest of the fungi. Some of them looked to be nearly her height, maybe even taller. They bubbled up and formed a miniature forest of sorts. And in their center, Ichigo could make out the top of a huge, thick cherry tree.

_It's that tree_ , she thought. _It has to be._ The source of the chimera. It had to be latched on to the large cherry tree near the center of the park, with the fungi spreading out from the roots and the branches.

Without thinking, Ichigo took off in a sprint towards the direction of the tree. She knew that if she could hit the tree with her Strawberry Check, she could cut off the source of the fungi. All she needed was one good shot.

She didn't realize how hard that would be until she was growing closer to the thick patch of mushrooms growing around the cherry tree. The growth was up to her knees now, and the smell was nearly unbearable. Ichigo felt herself retching inadvertently as she struggled to breathe. _Just a little closer. I'm almost there_.

She felt the slimy, cold surface of the mushrooms sliding over her legs as she struggled into the thick of the growth. She was beating back the overgrown mushrooms with her elbows now. One burst in her face when she hit it too hard, and she threw up in her mouth a little at the smell.

Coughing, Ichigo spit on the ground and wrestled her way further into the mushroom growth. They were taller than her head now. She thought about turning back and getting help, but she felt like she was so close to the center, that it would be a waste of time to fight her way back to the outer ring of the mushrooms. She could almost make out the trunk of the three through the dark, thick stems of the fungi. _Almost there._

Ichigo shoved her way between two thick mushroom stems, but shrieked as she tripped over something hard. A tree root, or something else growing on the ground. She stumbled and fell, gasping. She swallowed thick, deep breaths of poisonous gas. The air around her felt hot and wet. She scrambled to stand, but her mind whirled and spun to the point where she couldn't determine which way was up. She pushed herself up on her elbows, but found herself falling back down on her side. _Get up Ichigo!_ she told herself, screwing her eyes shut. _Get up! Now!_

Her vision grew fuzzy and dark around her. She felt like a fish out of water, like there wasn't any air left to breathe. She reached a gloved hand up into the furthest reach of her fading vision, but felt nothing.

Her hand fell; her vision quickly grew spotty, the sound in her ears fading into the distance, as if she was falling into a deep, dark hole. Her mind screamed at her to fight, but her limbs wouldn't obey. Her vision was gone, and the only thing in her ears was the distant ringing of the battle beyond the mushroom growth.

Ichigo felt her consciousness slip away from her. Then, she knew nothing but the dark.

* * *

"Are you sure you have no idea how to get rid of this?"

Pie fired a ball of lightning towards the ground and watched it spread out in a blazing flash of gold.

"Right, sure Pie, now that I think about it, I knew the answer all along!" Quiche yelled sarcastically. He fired another shot of blue lightning into a cluster of mushrooms. "I just needed a reminder to _think more_. You're _so_ helpful!"

Quiche heard Pie sigh gruffly behind him. "This chimera is your creation, Quiche!" Pie called out. "You must have _some_ idea on how to defeat it."

Quiche clenched his jaw. The past two weeks had served as a stark reminder for how many horrid creations he had spun up while he was on Earth. And now, they were kicking his ass.

Oh, the irony.

"If I think of anything brilliant," Quiche yelled back at Pie, "I'll let you know!"

Quiche glanced down and watched Zakuro's whip strike the ground just below him. The purple blast immediately wilted the growth around it. But in just a few moments, the grass began to bubble with the sickly brown mushrooms again, growing and bursting like boiling water. The chimera's fungi were growing back faster now, and taller. The mews would soon be overwhelmed, and everyone who couldn't fly would need to leave.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Quiche found himself searching the ground for the color pink. He hadn't seen Ichigo in a few minutes, but with the chaos raging around them, it was hard to keep track of who was attacking where. Flashes of multicolored lights shone all around them as the mews called out their attacks. But Ichigo was nowhere to be seen.

Quiche shot up higher in the air and scanned a wider area of the park. Panic began to bubble in his stomach. _I should have never taken my eyes off of her._

Suddenly, he spotted a flash of bright pink. Ichigo was running towards the center of the park, far away from the rest of the mews. She looked to be already waist-height in the mushroom growth. Quiche grit his teeth and took off in her direction, furious that she was doing something as careless as running off on her own.

As he grew closer, Quiche realized what Ichigo was headed towards. At the center of the thick patch of chimera-infected fungi was a tall cherry tree. The fungi seemed to grow even taller, faster around the tree. It suddenly clicked in Quiche's mind: _the source of the chimera_. Ichigo must have realized the tree was what the chimera parasite had latched on to, and rushed to destroy it on her own.

Smart girl. But too brave for her own good.

Quiche dove towards the growth around the tree, scanning the thick growth for Ichigo's pink hair. She had disappeared somewhere in the depths of the bulbous masses of fungi. Quiche drew his tonfas and began to slash through the thick stems of the mushrooms. They erupted in gaseous clouds of poisonous gas – disgusting to smell, but not lethal to Quiche like it was to humans. Coughing, he frantically slashed his way further and further into growth. Ichigo wouldn't last long like this, the air thick with poison.

When he finally saw her, panic shot through him like a bolt of lightning. She was on the ground, her pink hair just barely visible between the thick, slimy stems of the fungi growing all around her. They squeezed her limp body between their trunks like a ragdoll. Quiche dove towards her and pulled her up by her arm. He felt his stomach drop when he realized she was fully unconscious, dead weight in his grip. Her skin was already turning a sickly, pale color. _No, no, no, no, no._

He wasted no time throwing her body over one shoulder and shooting up through the infected fungi into the open air of the sky above them. Once out of the poisonous growth, Quiche let Ichigo's body fall into his arms so he could look at her. She looked like a ghost, and it terrified him. He ducked his head and put one ear to her chest.

_A heartbeat._ Thank god. He could also hear her breathing, but it was shallow, quick. Quiche raised his head to look around at the growing chaos of the battle around them. The mushrooms were coming in faster, stronger still. The patch he had just pulled Ichigo out of was nearly 3 meters tall. The surrounding sidewalk around the park was beginning to crack with the spreading growth of the fungi. Quiche could barely spot Ryou and Masaya just outside the park, trying to avoid the cracks in the cement. _Idiots. They shouldn't have come._

Quiche knew they couldn't go on much longer without destroying the chimera at its source.

But more importantly, Ichigo needed to wake up. Her lungs needed full breaths of clean air to clear the poison from her body. Quiche gripped her body tighter in his arms. He couldn't believe this was all his fault.

This chimera was _his_ creation, and it had nearly killed the one he loved. He had never hated himself more.

Quiche clenched his jaw and racked his brain for a way to bring Ichigo back to consciousness. The thought of sending a small electric shock to her fingers crossed his mind briefly, but it was too risky. He was about to consider getting Lettuce to hit her with Lettuce Rush — but an idea bloomed in his mind that he hadn't thought of before. He needed a way to try to pull Ichigo back to reality without physically hurting her. He just didn't know if this new idea would work.

He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of Ichigo's voice calling out to him when she was in danger. Their strange mental bond, his ability to hear her when she needed him – it felt stupid to try to rekindle the connection now, but it was worth a shot. He didn't even know if the connection worked both ways. But some deep part of his subconsciousness urged him to try.

Quiche pictured reaching out to Ichigo in her mind, calling out her name. He pictured her bright pink irises when she turned into Mew Ichigo, the fire and light that danced behind her eyes during a battle. The champion of the Earth and the selfless leader of Tokyo Mew Mew. The girl with the power to defeat even the worst of his horrible creations.

_Ichigo, we need you._ I _need you._

_Please wake up._

* * *

Ichigo felt like she was drowning in a pool of mud.

Everything around her felt thick, suffocating. She couldn't move. Her muscles felt like they were made of lead. She couldn't see, darkness filling her vision like a thick stormcloud. She was vaguely aware of her own heartbeat, fluttering like a butterfly's wings. Small, light, barely perceivable. She felt like her lungs were filled with sand. It hurt to breathe, like her lungs were pushing up against sandpaper every time she drew a breath.

A wave of tiredness washed over her, and she felt the urge to fall asleep. But, wasn't she already asleep? Her body screamed at her to _let go_ , to slip deeper into the heavy, sedated feeling eating at the corners of her mind. It would be okay to just sleep deeper, right? To just fall fast asleep for a while? To not have to breathe, and to not feel pain? Ichigo drew another breath and felt like she might cry. It hurt so much.

The darkness twisted and pulled at her thoughts until it was almost all she could think about. All she could think was _sleep, now. Sleep. Let go._

A horrible feeling shot through her stomach all of a sudden, like a knife being twisted through her core. She felt the heavy, dark pulling recede from her mind. Her first thought was that she was being stabbed. But this was different – not exactly like a physical pain. It felt like a sudden twist of panic, fear had just suddenly lodged itself in her body. But why?

Something pushed at the corner of her vision – a small, cloudy patch of light. Something tugged at her consciousness, like a fishing line. Like a string attached to her mind. Ichigo felt herself pulled towards the dim patch of light slowly. It felt like she was returning to her body. A small sound echoed through the deepest depths of her mind. It was her name. Someone was saying her name.

_Ichigo._

_Ichigo._

Ichigo found herself able to move the tips of her fingers.

_My name is Ichigo._

_Everyone needs me._

I need to wake up.

A bright flash of light hit her like a punch in the gut, forcing her to gasp for air. Ichigo drew a long, choking breath and started coughing immediately. Her lungs burned with every inhale. She was vaguely aware of the putrid smell lingering in the air, mixed with grass and … cloves.

" _Oh shit._ No no no. Ichigo, are you okay? Can you breathe?"

Ichigo cracked one eye open. Worried gold eyes looked down at her, watching her intently. It was Quiche. He must have pulled her out of the poisonous fungi. Ichigo swallowed and nodded weakly. She drew a short, shallow breath and blinked as she regained her focus.

_Wait._ The fungi. They were still in the middle of a battle.

"Quiche, the tree," Ichigo croaked hoarsely. Her voice was weak, cracked. She watched Quiche roll his eyes and shake his head in disbelief.

"Listen, kitten, the chimera can wait. You almost _died._ "

"I'm fine," Ichigo bit back. No sooner had she said that, she broke out into another coughing fit. Quiche gripped her tighter in his arms.

Ichigo looked down at the rest of the mews in battle. They were obviously losing, the chimera spreading out further by the second. The adjacent road to the park was split and cracked, the growth breaking through the concrete. The poisonous miasma was spreading all down the street and over a surface that looked like almost a square kilometer in size. Ichigo's mind began to catch up to what she was seeing. This chimera was out of control, much stronger than anything they had battled in _years_. How was she supposed to heal all of this at once?

A realization hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. She wasn't supposed to do it alone. Not without the mews.

Suddenly, everything Ichigo had been worrying about for the last two weeks began to fall into place in her mind. When she was being pushed in different directions, when she thought she knew what was best, she had been rushing towards something she thought she could handle by herself. All this time – in the battles over the past fourteen days, and in navigating what she wanted to do with her life – Ichigo had been in her own head, relying only on herself.

She remembered how good it felt coming clean to Mint and Lettuce. She remembered the encouragement and support of her friends during her engagement, but also how they supported her when Ichigo thought that her and Masaya were through. She remembered how she struggled wherever a chimera came to attack and she was the only one battling it. She remembered how relieved she always felt when her friends came to fight by her side.

All this time, it wasn't supposed to be a battle she fought alone. It was never supposed to be about stupid fights between boys, or learning English over the summer, or fighting chimeras alone in London. Who was she when she didn't have her friends by her side to support her?

"Quiche," Ichigo called up in a hoarse voice, "get me closer to the mews."

Quiche hesitated, adjusting her body in his arms. "Wait, what? You sure? The gas is really bad down there."

"Trust me," Ichigo said. She looked up into Quiche's worried eyes. He nodded. His expression changed to one of determination as he flew them towards the center of the battle. Ichigo was secretly relieved that he wasn't arguing with her. The air grew worse around her as they got closer to the ground, and she began to cough again. She felt Quiche's hands tighten around her. She realized in that moment that he was terrified for her.

"Mint! Lettuce!" Ichigo barked out at her teammates. The two girls whirled around to see Ichigo in Quiche's arms, hovering just a few meters above the ground. Pudding overheard Ichigo's voice and whirled around, gasping.

"Everyone, big sis Ichigo is hurt!" she yelled out to Zakuro and Berry. All five girls rushed over to Ichigo as Quiche lowered her closer to the ground. Ichigo cringed as she struggled to get control of her breath.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Lettuce cried, hands on her chest. Her voice was hoarse, too.

"I'm okay," Ichigo replied weakly. "Everyone, I need your help. I found the source of the chimera, but it's strong. I can't defeat it alone. Please, lend me your power."

The mews looked at each other and nodded. They took hold of each other's hands – Zakuro, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding and Berry, all in a half-circle around Ichigo and Quiche – and closed their eyes. A warm glow emitted from their chests, one Ichigo hadn't seen since the final battle against Deep Blue. Slowly, small, glowing orbs appeared from each mew's chest. They all swirled around each other in a fairy-like dance before drawing closer to Ichigo.

Ichigo, still in Quiche's grasp, stretched out her arms to welcome the power to herself. She felt the warmth of the mews' energy hovering just above her heart for a few moments. Then, she pushed all of the glowing balls of light slowly, carefully into her aching chest.

An elated, euphoric feeling took over Ichigo's body. She felt like every happy thought she had ever experienced was suddenly filling her body with warmth. Her lungs felt healed, and her muscles no longer ached. She opened her eyes and drew a long, deep breath. The power flowing through her felt electric, like it might surge from her fingertips at any moment.

Ichigo knew what she had to do. Summoning her Strawberry Bell, she raised it above her head.

"Strawberry Bell, Version Up!"

Her small, heart-shaped weapon instantly glowed and began to transform. The glowing pink rings of her upgraded weapon descend around her and Quiche. Quiche looked up and watched her weapon change in fascination, pink and white light dancing across his face.

Ichigo turned her head to her teammates. "I won't be long!"

She looked up at Quiche and smiled confidently. She wrapped one arm around his neck. "Let's go finish this thing!"

Quiche hesitated just for a moment, stunned. But he quickly recovered, grinned and took off into the air. Ichigo shrieked at the sudden ascent. She moved her upgraded Strawberry Bell from above their heads and held it upside-down as they flew, with the weapon and its pink rings facing the ground. They were traveling fast, the infected tree coming into view through the thick growth of the chimera.

"Get me right above the tree!" Ichigo called to Quiche. Her strength had returned to her voice. "I need a straight shot at this thing!"

"You got it!" Quiche called back. He stopped directly above the tree, high above the thick growth, but close enough to see the crown of the branches cresting above the bulbous surface of the mushrooms.

Ichigo looked down and swallowed the fear gripping her throat in a knot. She turned her head to look up at Quiche.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Always," Quiche replied.

He was wearing that stupid smirk again. The look in his eyes was pure fascination, like he was just seeing her for the first time.

Ichigo bit her lip and nodded.

"Then you're going to throw me right at that tree," she demanded. She readied her Strawberry Bell and looked down at the branches far, far beneath her. "On three!"

"Wait, what? Are you serious?!" Quiche yelled in disbelief.

"One…! Two…!"

Quiche flew even higher in the air and adjusted his grip on Ichigo. The greater altitude meant he was giving her more time in freefall, but it also made the fall more deadly. Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Three!"

Without hesitation, Quiche threw Ichigo directly towards the thick of the chimera growth. Ichigo knew she had only seconds to fall. One shot — it had to count.

She felt the power of the mews running through her veins. It felt like time stood still as Ichigo called out the attack. The sky lit up with a blinding flash of white. Her hair blew back from her face, and her body surged with an incredible warmth.

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK, HEALING!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remind me to NEVER WRITE another fic with SO MANY BATTLE SCENES. I hope it's not too obvious that battle scenes are /definitely/ not my strong suit, haha.
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the incredible comments as of late! I've gotten some really amazing comments from my readers lately and I love reading every single word of them! Please let me know what you thought of this latest update, and what your predictions are for how this story will end.
> 
> Cheers & thanks for reading!


	21. Don't Wait For Me

"RIBBON STRAWBERRY CHECK, HEALING!"

Everything around Ichigo was hot, loud and bright. She felt her body being thrown back by the shockwave of the powerful energy blast. For a few electric moments, she couldn't see anything but white light as she flew backwards through the air. But as the light began to fade, she realized she was falling again.

Ichigo hardly had time to scream before she felt a hand grasp hers. Quiche pulled her out of the air and held her against him. Ichigo gasped and flung her arms around his neck, her chin on his shoulder. She wrapped her legs around his waist. They were both breathing heavily, and Quiche's skin was slick with sweat as he held her against him. Ichigo screwed her eyes shut for a few seconds as the ringing in her ears subsided. She felt like she might be sick.

"...did it work?" she breathed. It didn't hurt to talk anymore. The power of the mews must have healed her lungs.

Quiche squeezed her tighter. He let out a long breath. "See for yourself, kitten."

Ichigo loosened her grip on Quiche's shoulders and pulled away. She gasped when she saw what was happening around them.

A wave of pinkish white light was emanating from the tall cherry tree like a shockwave. The poisonous fungi were shrinking and wilting in its wake. The grass was returning to a lush green again. The air around them already felt cleaner, and the horrible stench was fading from the air.

All around them, Ichigo watched as cherry blossoms blew in the breeze. The trees were shedding their flowers in the wake of the blast – just like they had years ago, when Ichigo had last used Strawberry Check Healing on a park not unlike this one. The delicate pink and white flowers swirled and danced around Ichigo like a beautiful storm. It was tragically, breathtakingly beautiful. Ichigo sighed in relief and reached out one hand to feel the petals slip between her gloved fingers. _They'll grow back … next year._

"Amazing," Quiche murmured. Ichigo's attention snapped back to Quiche. He had one arm supporting her under her legs, and one arm on her back. He was watching the land heal itself, his gaze distant. "Your power is incredible."

"It's not just me," Ichigo said. She smiled and glanced down at her teammates on the ground far below them. Pudding was jumping up and down and waving. Tart stood next to her, arms crossed. Mint and Zakuro were pointing up in their direction, arms around each others' waists. Lettuce and Pie stood side-by-side – Ichigo could see they were holding hands. Berry was just on the outskirts of the park, motioning for Ryou and Masaya to join them. Her brave, wonderful team of heroes. Her best friends and her favorite people in the world.

"... it's all of us," Ichigo finished.

"Hm," Quiche hummed thoughtfully. Ichigo caught his eye as he turned his attention back to her. The corner of his mouth turned up. "Give yourself some credit, kitten. What you just did was extraordinary. You're a force of nature." He paused, nodding to the gathering team of mews below them, "I'm sure your friends would agree."

_A force of nature._

Ichigo saw they were dropping lower, growing closer to the ground to reunite with the rest of the team. "Quiche, I–" she started hesitantly, watching the ground grow closer. She caught his eye just as they reached the tops of the trees. Ichigo knew her friends would soon be around them again, but she felt the tug in her chest of something needing to be said. Quiche looked at her curiously, his golden eyes swirling with warmth, curiosity.

"...thank you," she breathed, finally. Quiche lowered her to the ground, where she slipped out of his grasp and finally felt the cobblestone beneath her boots. She found her hand lingering in his as she pulled away. She looked up at him again and drew a long breath. The way he looked at her made her feel like the most beautiful thing in the world.

"For you, anything," Quiche murmured. He tilted his head to one side and smirked.

Ichigo exhaled slowly. The night of their last kiss drifted through her head, and she realized she felt strangely warm.

"Ichigo! It worked!"

Mint's excited voice tore through Ichigo's ears. She let her hand drop from Quiche's and turned to see her teammates running to greet her. Her thoughts were quickly overtaken with pure joy at seeing the mews. Ichigo grinned and welcomed her friends into her open arms.

"We did it!" Ichigo squealed excitedly. The mews all crushed her in a group hug, laughing.

"That was so cool!" Pudding yelled excitedly. "It was like a pretty explosion!"

"Just in time, too!" Lettuce added. "That chimera was really powerful."

Ichigo nodded. "I couldn't have done it without all of you! Thank you for lending me your power!"

"We're all glad to help, Ichigo," Mint replied. She smiled and glanced up at Zakuro briefly. "Tokyo Mew Mew is nothing without its leader." Zakuro nodded in wordless agreement.

Ichigo smiled warmly and giggled. Berry wormed her way into the group, between Mint and Lettuce. "Hey, I found the boys!" she announced. No sooner had she said it, Masaya pushed past Berry and rushed to embrace Ichigo in a hug. Ichigo gingerly wrapped her arms around him as he squeezed her tight. The mews took a few steps back to give them space.

"Ichigo, I was so worried," Masaya murmured into Ichigo's hair. Ichigo felt his arms trembling as he held her. "I'm so glad you're safe now."

Ichigo propped her chin up on Masaya's shoulder and rubbed his back with one hand. She could see over his shoulder that her friends were only half turned away, most still watching their interaction curiously. Mint raised one eyebrow at Ichigo as she caught her eye.

"We did it, Masaya," Ichigo said happily, tearing away from her fiancé. She held his hands in hers and smiled up at him. But this time, he wasn't smiling back. His eyes were devoid of their usual warmth. Ichigo's smile fell slightly.

"Ichigo, do you know how scared I was? I saw you fall from the sky and I thought you were going to …"

Masaya's voice trailed off. Ichigo saw him clench his jaw. His eyes flicked briefly to something over Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo turned her head slightly. She could see that Quiche, Pie and Tart were all standing a few steps behind her.

Ichigo refocused her attention to Masaya and thought carefully about what to say. He must have seen everything in the air – Quiche pulling her out of the fungi, him bringing her to the mews, her massive attack.

"It's all okay now," Ichigo said reassuringly. She searched Masaya's eyes for any semblance of warmth. "I'm fine now, thanks to my friends."

Masaya nodded and let out a short, forceful breath. "I'm glad," he said. "And hopefully this will be the last time I ever see you with that pink hair, and that costume. Hopefully it's the last time you'll need to fight. I don't ever want to see you in danger again."

Masaya reached up to run his fingers through her hair, but Ichigo felt like she had just been slapped in his face. _What?_ she thought. _Does he really think that? Does he really want me to never be a mew again?_

"Alright, time to eat some more cake!" came Pudding's voice over the chatter amongst the team. Ichigo broke her focus briefly to notice the rest of her teammates powering down to their normal costumes and beginning to walk back towards the entrance of the park. She glanced over as Lettuce waved at her shyly, still holding Pie's hand. Mint and Zakuro were giggling about something as they walked arm-in-arm. Quiche was the last to leave, walking backwards with his hands behind his head and looking at Ichigo with one raised eyebrow — as if to ask a question. He turned away, and suddenly Ichigo was looking at the backs of all of the people she would soon leave behind in Tokyo, walking away from her. Suddenly, it was just her and Masaya left.

Ichigo's eyes snapped to her fiancé.

"Masaya, I — we need to talk."

* * *

As soon as Ichigo said those words, Masaya's eyes suddenly grew panicked again. He shifted his weight from one hip to the other and tightened his grip on her hands.

"I — sure, Ichigo," he murmured cautiously. "What do you want to talk about?"

Ichigo let out a long sigh and looked down at her gloved hands in his. She could have powered down from being Mew Ichigo already, but she felt stronger, more confident with the wildcat DNA still coursing through her veins. She searched her thoughts for what to say.

"I'm … I understand you wanting me to be safe," she started hesitantly, "but I … but Mew Ichigo is part of who I am. Being the protector of this planet is part of who I am. I thought … I thought you felt the same."

Masaya opened and closed his mouth. He was struggling with what to say. "I … of course," he started. "Of course I'm proud of everything you've done to protect Earth. But Ichigo, I … I thought that was all behind us. I was just happy that after all of this trouble with the chimeras, you won't have to ever put yourself in danger again."

Ichigo clenched her jaw. She fixed Masaya with a blank expression, her mind feeling like it had been thrown into a tailspin. "Masaya, I'll always be Mew Ichigo," she said quietly. "I'll always be a protector of Earth. That's never going to change."

Masaya let out a long breath. Ichigo noticed he was fidgeting with her left hand, feeling for the grasp of a ring that wasn't there.

"I understand that," he murmured. "But I'm glad that after this, there will be no more chimeras, right? No real reason for you to have to fight. And that's what I'm happy about. It's what I've been hoping for ever since we defeated Deep Blue. I'm excited for us to just be … I don't know … _normal._ "

"Masaya..." Ichigo said quietly. The vision of the apartment in London was growing distorted in her mind. The picture blurry, the feelings of warmth fading.

How could she ever think of herself as "normal"? Was that what Masaya really wanted? Standing in front of him with the DNA of the Iriomote wildcat flowing though her, Ichigo never felt more like herself. Being a protector of the Earth was part of her identity. It was her pride and joy. But she also understood how Masaya would want nothing to do with the battles and the fighting – after all, it wasn't that long ago that Deep Blue had overtaken his mind and nearly killed him.

As much as it pained Ichigo to admit, this latest realization fit neatly into a hypothesis she had been subconsciously nurturing in the back of her mind for a while. She had thought of it when Masaya was talking to all of the nonprofit directors at the gala. She had thought of it when she was talking to Masaya in the park, right before his proposal. She had even thought of it at dinner the night before.

They were going down different paths. And now, Ichigo knew his path was one she couldn't follow.

She knew she owed it to him to tell him here, now. As much as it would break her heart. As much as it would force her to tear out a part of her life she had grown so used to. She knew she had to do it.

Ichigo started by powering down to her normal appearance. As soon as the wildcat genes left her system, she felt more vulnerable. Smaller, meeker. But that didn't stop her. Ichigo forced herself to look up at her fiancé.

His sad, brown eyes almost made her change her mind. His soft gaze made it even harder for Ichigo to comprehend what she was about to do. But then she remembered the feeling of hugging her friends after their victory, the joy every time she defeated a chimera, and how the Tokyo skyline looked among the swirling storm of cherry blossoms from the healed trees. She loved her friends. She loved her city. She loved the Earth. And she loved Masaya – but she knew what she needed to do.

"Masaya, I don't think we're right for each other anymore. I think we need to go our separate ways."

Masaya locked his jaw. His eyes went blank for a few seconds, expressionless. Ichigo watched him for a reaction carefully, cautiously. Now that she had finally said the words, Ichigo knew in the deepest part of her heart that it was right.

"I … what?" he said quietly. He looked to be in shock. "You can't … Ichigo, are you … you can't be serious right now."

Ichigo swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. Her voice was breathy, weak as she spoke, "No, Masaya, I am. I wasn't sure before, but I'm sure now. I had to tell you before you left for London."

Masaya stared at her wordlessly, his expression distant. Ichigo felt the compulsion to keep talking; to explain herself. She swallowed again and kept going, her voice cracking as she spoke. "The past two weeks have been a rollercoaster, and I think, after everything, I realized … I have a lot of growing up to do. A lot I still have to do here in Tokyo. A lot I still want to do with my friends. I can't leave Tokyo, Masaya. I just can't. I'm sorry."

Ichigo felt tears welling up behind her eyes. She sighed and tried to force them back. Masaya drew a breath and finally opened his mouth to speak. His words stumbled from his lips clumsily, quietly. "Ichigo … you know I wouldn't force you to do anything. You can stay in Tokyo if you want. If that's the reason you want to break up … you can stay here. Of course."

"No, Masaya, that won't fix it," Ichigo replied quickly, her voice louder, more confident. The first tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She palmed it away quickly. "I know you'd never be able to go after your dreams here in Tokyo. And I'd never be happy living abroad. But it's not just the distance … Masaya, we're just … different people now."

Ichigo looked up at him sadly. She searched for some hint of understanding, but found none. He looked confused as ever.

"But Ichigo, we were fine up until now. We just got engaged less than a week ago," Masaya said weakly.

"I know," Ichigo replied. "It's been in the back of my mind for the past two weeks, but … I didn't really realize what I wanted until today. So much has happened in just fourteen days. I just didn't have time."

Masaya's eyes began to fill with something else besides their blank sort of sadness. Ichigo saw panic beginning to set in. Masaya gripped her hands tighter in his. He fidgeted with the joints of her fingers, rolling them in his thumbs as his eyes darted between hers.

"Ichigo, I can't imagine a life without you," he said, his voice growing hoarse. "I'll do anything for us to be together. I'll quit the conservation program, move back to Tokyo … anything. You can't do this."

"But that's the problem, Masaya!" Ichigo exclaimed. More tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. She didn't bother wiping them away this time. "That's not what you really want! You've dreamt of having this international career, of helping the planet through science, of being a part of this super competitive academic world I can't see myself in.

"I just want to, I don't know, spend time with my friends, get to know who I am a little more, grow up a lot! I want to do all of that here, in Tokyo, but I know you're already past that part of your life. You're already grown up. You know what you want, and what you want for yourself isn't in Tokyo.

"We're going down two different paths, Masaya, and I don't think I can follow you down yours. And I know you'd never really, truly be happy going down mine."

Masaya was quiet. The panic left his eyes, replaced by a deep, deep sorrow that broke Ichigo's heart a thousand times over. He let go of one of Ichigo's hands and quickly wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. Ichigo realized she had never seen him cry. She felt hot, wet tears falling down her face freely, her throat in a knot.

With one hand free, Ichigo slipped her other hand out of Masaya's and gently, slowly pulled the engagement ring off of her finger. She turned it so that it sparkled in the light of the overcast spring day. So beautiful, so perfect, and not at all _her_.

She extended the ring to Masaya and looked up at him. He looked from Ichigo to the ring, then met her eyes again. Shaking his head, he choked back a sob and took it from her.

"I'm so sorry," Ichigo murmured. She reached out and embraced Masaya in a warm, tight hug. She felt his arms wrap around her slowly, hesitantly. She could feel his body shaking as he cried silently against her. His tears landed on her back and began to wet her shirt.

Ichigo felt like her heart was breaking in a million pieces. The sadness twisted her stomach and made her feel sick. She thought of all they had been through together, everything they had overcome as teenagers and all of the memories they had shared together. All of the dates, the late night phone calls, the happy times and the sad ones. A lot of their relationship had been long-distance, but Ichigo felt like they had been together for an eternity. After all, the last time she was single was when she was fourteen years old. They had _grown up_ together – and been through so much with Tokyo Mew Mew, defeating Deep Blue and saving the planet.

"You know I'll always love you," Ichigo murmured into Masaya's chest. It was the truth. She knew that a small part of her heart would always belong to Masaya Aoyama.

"I'll always love you," he replied softly, his voice shaking. Ichigo sighed into his chest. He was wearing the cologne again – the one he wore when he proposed. Ichigo stepped back from him slowly, gently.

Masaya wiped his eyes with the back of his wrist and took a deep, shaking breath. He finally met Ichigo's eyes again, and words quickly tumbled from his lips: "Tell me this has nothing to do with Quiche."

Ichigo stiffened.

She knew the look on her face had given her away, because Masaya clenched his jaw, eyes going wider. He broke away from Ichigo and turned to the side. He crossed his arms in front of him and shook his head.

"You're kidding," Masaya murmured in disbelief.

"Masaya, _no_ ," Ichigo quickly exclaimed, stepping around to face him again, "it's not like that. You have to believe me when I say this has everything to do with figuring out myself, not getting to know someone else. I mean it. Please. Trust me."

Masaya glanced over at her with an angry, hurt look, entirely different from what his eyes held before. "So what? You're going to start dating _him_ after all of this? Is that what this is about?"

Ichigo shook her head quickly. "No, Masaya! No," she insisted. "I just told you – I need to have time to grow up. To learn more about myself. I need time. I'm not going to just start dating someone else. Of course not."

"So I'm supposed to believe this has nothing to do with him?" Masaya snapped back. "I saw the look on your face just now, Momomiya. He's been all over you for the past two weeks. I'm not dumb, and you can't just tell me what I want to hear."

Ichigo clenched her jaw – part panicked at what to say, part frustrated with Masaya's suddenly hostile tone. She had to remind herself that he was going through shock. He was grieving. And Ichigo had to choose her words carefully. Would it bring her peace to be completely transparent with Masaya? Or should she keep things to herself? She knew she had to tell him _something._ She started hesitantly, carefully.

"It's not … it's not _nothing_ , Masaya, but Quiche isn't why we need to go our separate ways," Ichigo murmured. "Making him a target isn't going to do you any good, because he's not why I'm telling you all of this now. But yes, I'd be lying if I didn't say that there isn't … I don't know ... a _connection_ there. But I'm not sure what to do about it right now, and I don't know if anything would ever come from it."

Ichigo let out a deep breath and searched Masaya's eyes for a reaction. She felt her response was the best she could muster in the moment – not a retelling of everything that had happened over the past few days, but not a lie either. Masaya's eyes seemed to gloss over as he returned her stare. He looked like he was biting back words; his lips pursed, posture rigid.

After a tense few seconds of silence, he finally let out a sigh and averted his eyes. "Okay, Momomiya, I believe you," he muttered. Ichigo saw him swallow hard before his attention turned back to her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. This is just … a lot."

Ichigo nodded. "I know," she murmured. She noticed that he had reverted back to using her last name again.

She sighed. "We should … we should probably head back."

Masaya nodded. "Yeah," he agreed half-heartedly. He took one of Ichigo's hands in his again. She glanced down at it briefly before meeting his eyes. He drew a deep breath. "You know … you know you can always change your mind. I'll be here."

Ichigo wasn't expecting that. One part of her teenage brain screamed at her that this was all one big mistake, that she was abandoning the greatest love she had ever known. But – she reminded herself – it was the _only_ love she had ever known.

Ichigo smiled sadly. She curled her fingers between Masaya's, holding his hand one last time. "Don't wait for me."

* * *

The walk back to the café was silent except for a few murmured words asking about Masaya's plans when he got back to England. The air around them felt too heavy for conversation. It took everything in Ichigo not to burst into tears with every step. Masaya squeezed her hand occasionally as they walked, as if to reassure her, comfort her.

When they finally arrived at the doors of the café, Ichigo stared up at the red paint and let out a long, shuddering sigh. She glanced over at Masaya and saw he was staring blankly ahead at the doors, seemingly deep in thought.

"We should … we should just be honest with everyone," Ichigo said quietly. Masaya nodded, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

"Yeah," he agreed. He looked over at Ichigo with a solemn expression on his face. "Ready?"

Ichigo thought about how they had crossed the threshold of the doors of the café together under much different circumstances not two hours ago. She swallowed the knot in her throat and nodded. Then, she turned to Masaya and grabbed his other hand in hers. She pulled him lightly towards her and embraced him in a full-body hug.

Masaya wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Ichigo felt her throat tightening again, her eyes growing wet. She would always love Masaya Aoyama. Maybe not as her one and only, and maybe not as her boyfriend, fiancé or husband. But some part of her would always belong to him.

She released him after a few precious seconds and let out a sigh. She smiled up at him weakly. "Ok, ready."

Ichigo pushed open one of the large red doors, and was greeted with smiles and excitement, her friends already back into the revel of the party. But the loud chatter of conversation quieted when one by one, Ichigo's friends began to realize something was wrong. Ichigo smiled weakly and crossed her arms over herself, but she knew her appearance was anything but cheerful.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Mint asked, coming to her side quickly. Ichigo bit her lip and looked around at the expectant faces of the rest of the party-goers.

"We – Aoyama and I ... we agreed we're going to go our separate ways," Ichigo said finally. She swallowed the stubborn knot in her throat, feeling fresh tears threaten to spill from her eyes. Telling her friends made the whole thing feel more real. She couldn't take it back, now.

Mint's eyes widened, her jaw going slack. Ichigo heard the rest of her friends go silent, varying degrees of surprise on their faces. Mint embraced Ichigo in a full-body hug.

"Ichigo, I'm so sorry," she murmured into Ichigo's hair as she hugged her.

Slowly, each of the mews made their way over to Ichigo. They offered words of comfort and took turns embracing Ichigo in long, warm hugs. It took everything in Ichigo not to start crying again. Sad tears in sharing the news, but happy tears with how she knew she could always rely on her friends for support. No one asked questions – they only had words of reassurance.

Even Zakuro, who was normally the most aloof in the group, offered Ichigo a short, warm hug and a small reassurance Ichigo didn't know she needed. "Promise you'll take time to rest," Zakuro told her softly, a solemn look in her sharp blue eyes. "You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't take time to love yourself for a little while."

Ichigo nodded and smiled up at Zakuro, "I promise."

Ichigo glanced over at Masaya and saw he was having a hushed conversation with Tasuku. Berry's boyfriend had a reassuring hand on Masaya's shoulder as they spoke. Ichigo was grateful that Masaya had the support by his side.

She followed Masaya's gaze as the conversation with Tasuku appeared to come to a close. Masaya broke away from the younger boy; Ichigo watched him cross to the other side of the dining room. A few of the other party-goers were watching him as well.

Ichigo froze when she realized Quiche and Tart were standing near the back of the café, next to the entrance to the back hall. Quiche was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, glowering at Masaya with a look that could melt steel. Masaya stopped to one side of him, glaring back.

"Let's talk. Privately," Masaya said quietly, just loud enough that Ichigo could hear.

Quiche hesitated, eyes narrowing. He straightened off of the wall and lifted his chin. He glanced over at Ichigo, finding her eyes from across the room, before returning Masaya's glare once more.

Ichigo held her breath. She wondered what was going through Quiche's head. Wondered what he thought she had told Masaya during the breakup. She said a silent prayer that he would keep his mouth shut about the details of the past two days.

"Fine," Quiche finally muttered, grudgingly. He followed Masaya down the back hallway of the café and out the heavy door. As soon as Ichigo heard the metal door click shut, she realized everyone in the room had taken notice of the conversation between the two boys. As soon as the door closed, everyone's head swiveled to look at Ichigo.

This looked bad. Really, really bad.

Ichigo straightened her back and bit her lip. It was clear from everyone's faces that they were all thinking the same thing, having watched the tense interaction between Masaya and Quiche. Right after their breakup. Right after Quiche's act of heroism during the huge battle. Ichigo grimaced and glanced between her friends' disbelieving looks.

_Oh no._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hi - you probably all hate me after that cliffhanger, haha.
> 
> This chapter was /so/ critical to get as close to perfect as possible, so I hope you liked how it turned out. Please let me know your thoughts! We have ONE NORMAL CHAPTER left, and then it's the epilogue! Get hyped!
> 
> FYI -- I'll be asking you all about what I should write next in the author's notes of the last chapter of this fic. Just to be transparent, I DO have a sequel for this fic in a rough outline. I'll give you all a summary of it once this fic is wrapped up and get your feedback on if you'd like me to write it, OR if you'd like me to write something completely new/different. I definitely want to write more for this fandom!
> 
> Also, I just published the little oneshot spinoff fic I asked you all about a couple chapters ago -- the one that's Pie's letter to Lettuce mentioned a few times in this story. It's titled "I feared the sea". You should be able to find it on my profile. Give it a kudos and a comment if you enjoyed it! 
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading!~


	22. Something Lost, Something Found

Quiche wasn't sure whether or not he was about to get his nose re-broken, but this time, he wasn't in the mood to take a punch. As soon as the metal door of the café clicked shut behind them, Masaya turned to face him, a hardened look of subdued anger on his face. Quiche leaned against the outer wall of the café and glared back.

It took every fiber of self-control not to taunt the object of his malice – standing there, powerless, angry and hurt. He looked like he had been crying.

_Good,_ Quiche thought. _I hope she shattered him._

Instead, he set his jaw and started in a low tone: "If you're looking to take your anger out on my face, I won't hold back this time."

Masaya continued to glower at him. "I'm not here to start a fight," he muttered. "I just want to know what's been going on between you and Momomiya."

Quiche clicked his tongue and began to pick at his nails. _Interesting._ Ichigo was still keeping secrets.

"Ask her yourself," Quiche replied coolly. "She'll tell you what you want to know."

Quiche wanted so badly to rub everything in Masaya's face. To describe in detail the way the curve of her hips fit in his hands. The way she wrapped her arms around his neck when she kissed him. But Quiche had made a promise to Ichigo not to tell her secrets again, and this time, he intended to keep it.

Masaya wasn't satisfied.

"She's only telling me what I want to hear," Masaya said.

He paused, as if waiting for an answer. Maybe he was waiting to see if Quiche would gloat.

"So you don't believe her?" Quiche asked. He cocked one eyebrow. "And you'll believe me?"

Masaya scowled. "That's not it," he muttered. He sighed and averted his eyes. "Listen, when Momomiya told me why she wants us to … go our separate ways … she told me it had nothing to do with you. But when I kept talking with her about it, she mentioned there's some kind of — I don't know — 'connection' between you two."

Masaya's gaze snapped back to Quiche. "I don't understand it, but obviously I can't tell her what to do. I just need to know she's not being led down a dark path."

Quiche tried not to appear surprised, even as it felt like his stomach had just done a backflip. Ichigo hadn't told Masaya about what had happened between them physically. But the fact that she mentioned a "connection" between them while breaking up with Masaya…

No wonder Masaya was furious with him. Quiche collected himself and narrowed his eyes. He had to choose his words carefully.

"So you don't trust her after all," he said. "Ichigo is an adult; she can make decisions on her own."

"I know that," Masaya shot back. "Believe it or not, when you love someone, you want to look out for them. You want the best for them, even if you're not together. Not that you would know."

Quiche crossed his arms. "That's a low blow, especially coming from you," he growled.

"It's the truth," Masaya replied defensively. "I don't trust you or the way you act around Momomiya. I don't want to see her end up hurt because of you toying around with her."

"So if you don't trust me either," Quiche muttered, "then you wouldn't believe me if I told you Ichigo is more to me than just a plaything."

"Words are just words, Quiche," Masaya said.

"In that case," Quiche started, glowering, "does my saving her life not once, not twice, but three times over the past two weeks mean nothing? How about the final battle of Deep Blue's awakening, when I died protecting her against _you?_ "

Quiche meant it to hurt, and he could see in Masaya's face that it had. Masaya set his jaw, his eyes dark, furious.

"You want to go low, I'll go low," Quiche hissed. "But you're sorely mistaken if you think I don't love Ichigo just as much as you ever have."

A look of surprise flashed across Masaya's face, cutting through the fury in his features. It was brief, and his expression quickly soured once more.

"One grand act of heroism during a battle is nothing compared to almost four years of being in a relationship with her," Masaya muttered. "You can't possibly understand what Momomiya and I have together."

"Try me," Quiche growled. "Because last time I checked, she's still dumping you."

Quiche saw the muscles under Masaya's sleeves flex. He allowed a smirk to curl on his lips. Masaya was obviously struggling with his anger. Quiche knew that he was probably _itching_ to hit him again.

A small, subtle burning feeling bit at the back of Quiche's mind. He felt a tiny whisper of Deep Blue's power flaring and dying. Quiche furrowed his brow. _Fascinating_. Masaya's rage was deep enough that Deep Blue's power was still latching onto his dark thoughts as a catalyst.

He'd have to talk to Pie about that later.

For now, Quiche refocused his gaze to Masaya, grinning smugly. "Did I strike a nerve, my lord? Want to try breaking my nose again?"

Quiche knew he probably shouldn't keep kicking him while he was down, but he was having too much fun.

Masaya let out a long sigh and closed his eyes in an apparent attempt to calm himself down. When he reopened his eyes, his gaze was vaguely distant. Like he was trying to block thoughts from invading his head.

"Just because I'm not Ichigo's boyfriend — or fiancé — doesn't mean I won't be part of her life," Masaya muttered. He glared up at Quiche, his eyes snapping into a sharper focus. "You're not rid of me yet."

The way he said it was unsettling. Quiche tilted his head to one side.

"For now," Quiche replied coolly. "Time is a fickle thing."

Quiche lifted off of the wall of the café and stretched his arms. The light around them was growing orange as the evening approached and the sun began to sink behind the horizon. It was getting late, and Quiche was beginning to feel like their conversation was a waste of breath.

Besides, he had to find a way to talk to Ichigo. If not now, soon.

"Lovely chatting with you," Quiche muttered sarcastically. He turned away from Masaya's angry stare.

Without waiting for a reply, Quiche pulled open the back door of the café and went inside. He wanted to believe that it was his last conversation he'd ever have to have with Masaya, but he had a feeling in his gut that it wasn't so.

It didn't matter, at least not then. Quiche caught sight of Ichigo's ruby red hair whirling around her head as she turned at the sound of the door opening. Her wide, brown eyes were full of surprise, curiosity and something that looked like concern. He could lose himself in those eyes for ages – full of fire, full of hope. Even with the cloak of sadness thrown over her disposition, she was as beautiful as a summer's day.

Quiche realized that Ichigo's expression was troubled, curious – as though she was asking a question. He quickly reached the conclusion that she had to be nervous about what he had told Masaya. Quiche quickly, subtly shook his head, softening his look in earnest, as if to reassure her. It worked. Ichigo visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping slightly.

Quiche hardly noticed everyone in the café staring at him. It was like everything else had fallen away into the background as he tilted his head and smirked at Ichigo, striding into the dining area of the café with renewed confidence.

They had too many words left unsaid, but now was not the time. He knew he had to get her alone. Tonight.

* * *

As soon as the metal door clicked shut behind Quiche and Masaya, Ichigo felt everyone's eyes on her. Ryou crossed his arms and blew his bangs out of his face.

"Alright, Momomiya, start talking," he muttered, a hint of amusement in his tone.

Mint, standing next to him, elbowed him in the ribs. Hard. "Ow, what the hell?" Ryou whined, glaring down at Mint.

"Don't be a jerk!" Mint snapped. "Poor Ichigo just broke up with her fiancé and you want to interrogate her?"

"Well, this is awkward," Berry mumbled, exchanging glances with Tasuku. He looked sheepish.

"Listen, I know that looked bad just now," Ichigo started hurriedly, her voice an octave too high, "but it's really not like that. Aoyama and I went our separate ways for a lot of reasons but it's not … it's not what it looks like."

"So you're not fooling around with Quiche after all?" Tart chirped.

Pudding started to giggle, but straightened her back and grimaced as Mint shot her a dirty look from the other side of the group. She quickly switched to scowling and rumpling Tart's hair. "Taru-taru, don't be rude!"

Ichigo felt her face growing redder by the second. "N-no! Of course not!" she stammered. "We didn't – that's not why Masaya and I broke up."

It wasn't exactly the full truth, but Ichigo didn't fully trust the company of everyone around her.

Luckily, Lettuce came to her rescue. She cleared her throat and interjected with a soft, strong voice. "Listen, we should all be here to support Ichigo, not to start silly rumors. Let's be kind, okay?"

Silence. The rest of the group exchanged hesitant glances with each other. Mint and Berry nodded slowly.

Surprisingly, the next to speak was Zakuro. "I agree. We should all stay out of Ichigo's personal business. She needs time to recover after today."

Zakuro's co-sign on Lettuce's suggestion seemed to be enough for the rest of the group. Mint stepped forward next. She came closer to Ichigo and took one of her hands in her own.

"Ichigo, you should come stay with me tonight. We should have a night with just us girls, you know? I think it would do you good to be around friends."

"Ooo, a sleepover?" Pudding piped up from behind Mint. "I'm in!"

"Me too!" Berry chirped. Mint nodded at the other two girls.

"Me three," Lettuce added with a smile and a tilt of her head.

"I'll see what I can do," Zakuro added.

"Okay, it's a plan, then!" Mint declared. She squeezed Ichigo's hand and smiled up at her reassuringly. "Sound good, Ichigo?"

Ichigo let out a long sigh and smiled. Even though she felt like curling up into a ball on her bed for the rest of the night, Mint was right – she could use the company of friends. Somewhere away from her own thoughts for the night. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm in!"

Mint grinned. "Okay, great! I can head back to my place after this and get ready. You should all go get overnight bags ready."

"Can we take the cake to go?" Berry asked. She sounded sincere, but she broke out in giggles along with the rest of the mews. Ryou rolled his eyes and looked like he was about to remark on their plans for the night when everyone heard the sound of the back door swinging open once more.

Ichigo stiffened and watched with wide eyes as Quiche strode down the hall of the café and into the dining area. He didn't have any new bruises on his face, thankfully. His golden gaze found her quickly and latched on with a strange intensity that Ichigo found hard to decipher. She wondered to herself how much he had told Masaya – and whether she should be worried about Masaya knowing their secrets.

As if to read her thoughts, Quiche shook his head subtly, quickly. Ichigo noted with surprise that he must have read her expression perfectly. Her shoulders slumped as she felt tension leaving her body. Quiche's face changed in the next moment, that stupid, familiar smirk climbing up his face again as he came to stand next to Pie, near the back of the group. He tilted his chin up at her with a look of dogged confidence.

It took a moment, but Quiche seemed to snap out of his entrancement with her to notice everyone was staring at him. He looked around at everyone's bewildered expressions and raised one eyebrow. "What? I know I'm nice to look at, but it's pretty rude to stare."

"Can it, Quiche," Mint snapped, glaring up at him.

Quiche held up his hands defensively, "Woah, okay. Touchy today, are we?"

Before anyone could respond, the back door flew open again and Masaya strode down the hall. Everyone's attention turned to Masaya, who had a painfully fake expression of calm on his face. Ichigo bit her lip and watched as he came to stand next to her.

He jerked his head towards the front door. "I'm going to head out. Walk with me for a minute?"

Ichigo swallowed and nodded. Instinctively, she took one of his hands in hers. It felt right still, though she knew it looked odd to her friends, who were watching as they made their way out of the heavy double doors at the front of the café.

The sun was just beginning to dip low on the horizon, the golden light of dusk beginning to fill the sky. Masaya let out a long sigh and stopped just beyond the threshold of the door, clutching Ichigo's hands in his. She looked up at him and immediately saw the pain in his soft brown eyes.

"I...I don't want to make this hard for you, Ichigo," Masaya started, "but just know that I really wish you all the best. I hope...I hope we can stay in touch."

His words felt cold. Almost as if he had already rehearsed them in his head.

Ichigo nodded and bit her lip. "I...yeah, of course," she agreed. She smiled sadly up at her now-ex-fiancé. "I want the best for you too. Really, I do."

Masaya returned her sad smile with a half-smile of his own. "I know you do," he murmured. He reached up to brush a lock of hair away from her face. His touch was warm, gentle.

Every word, every movement of his made a small part of Ichigo want to take it all back. Take back the breakup, take back everything she had said about them not being compatible. A small part of her yearned for the familiarity of their relationship. The warmth of his loving eyes...his gentle, sweet words. She thought of all of the dates they had been on together, all of the late-night phone calls, and all of the exchanges of " _I love you."_

It hurt feeling like she was losing a huge part of her life as she knew it. But she also knew that what she longed for didn't exist anymore. At least, not in the way she needed. A greater stirring in her heart told her that she was exactly where she should be. She knew, deep down, that it was time to go.

Ichigo slipped her hand out of Masaya's and folded her arms behind her back. She took two steps backwards and tilted her head to one side, smiling. "Have a safe flight, okay?"

It felt like she was driving a wedge between them, but it was what she needed to do. It wouldn't do either of them any good to linger.

Masaya's expression glossed over into a stony calm once again. He nodded and smiled weakly. "Thanks, Momomiya." He paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. "We'll talk sometime soon."

Ichigo wasn't sure what the remark meant, but she wasn't in the mood to tell him "no." She simply nodded and widened her smile.

"Goodnight, Aoyama," she murmured.

"Goodnight, Momomiya," Masaya replied softly. He turned, and then Ichigo was watching him walk away.

Her hands still folded behind her back, Ichigo rubbed the bare skin on her ring finger and sighed. Without the diamond on her finger – and everything it represented – it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. It felt like she was 17 again. Like she could do anything she wanted. Like the world was suddenly wide open for her to explore.

It felt like she was free.

* * *

Time seemed to fly by as the girls all rushed to pack overnight bags for the sleepover. Ichigo told her parents about the breakup as soon as she returned home. Her mom seemed confused at the sudden split. But she reassured her daughter with warm words and a long hug. Her dad seemed indifferent, though he offered to "take care of that punk kid if you want." Ichigo laughed and reassured him that she could handle her ex just fine on her own.

Once she had her overnight bag packed, Ichigo walked with Lettuce to the train station, and boarded the train that took them to Mint's wealthy suburb on the outskirts of town. Her beautiful estate was tucked in a lush expanse of gardens illuminated in the dim light of her home. Ichigo and Lettuce knocked on the huge, elaborately-carved door, and one of the Aizawa family staff welcomed them in. Ichigo was delighted by the smell of pork steamed buns wafting through the mansion.

Pudding and Berry had already arrived. Pudding was showing Berry how to slide down the banister of Mint's grand staircase in the entryway. Both blondes perked up and waved as Ichigo and Lettuce came to greet them. Ichigo beamed up at her friends and felt blissfully warm to share their company.

"Hey, dinner is almost ready!" Mint called from the dining area of the mansion.

"Thank goodness!" Berry exclaimed. "I'm starving! All I've had to eat today is cake!"

"Is Zakuro here yet?" Lettuce asked, looking around at the number of discarded duffel bags in the entryway of the home.

"Big sis Zakuro couldn't make it," Pudding said sadly. "Some kind of last-minute work thing. Being an adult sucks!"

"Well, more food for us then!" Ichigo said with a grin.

Lettuce, Berry and Pudding smiled and exchanged glances with each other. Ichigo realized they were probably thrilled that she was in good spirits. She knew her friends had been worried for her. Laughing and smiling, they all made their way to the expansive dining room down the hall.

After a huge dinner of pork buns, fried rice, steamed veggies and egg noodles, the girls retreated to Mint's elaborate bedroom on the top floor of the mansion. Ichigo felt blissfully bloated after eating more than her fair share of the delicious feast. Mint fetched extra pillows and duvets from her laundry room storage, and spread them all out on her floor to make a giant nest of bedding. The girls all laid on the floor and passed the time showing each other funny videos on their phones, playing a card game Mint had dug up from her game room, and generally making the conversation about everything _except_ Ichigo's breakup.

It was silly, stupid, and altogether perfect.

By the time the lights were out and the girls had fallen asleep one by one, Ichigo's face was sore from laughter. She stared up at the vast ceilings of Mint's bedroom and listened to her friends' breathing around her. Pudding, a little off to her left, was starting to snore.

Ichigo had so much to reflect on from the day, but the one thing that stood out in her mind was her sudden moment of clarity about the importance of her friendships. Their sleepover had only further confirmed that Ichigo needed her friends in her life. Her life in Tokyo was too precious, too important for her to give up.

If she had gone along with Masaya's plan to move abroad, she wouldn't have just left Tokyo behind. She would have left all of her friends, her family, her work, and everyone else she knew and loved behind, too. Laying in the blanket nest on the floor of Mint's bedroom, Ichigo knew that her heart belonged here. With the people who loved her, in the city she fought to defend over and over again. If she hadn't broken it off with Masaya, she would have left herself behind, too.

The thought quelled the deep melancholy that sat in the pit of her stomach after the heart-wrenching breakup. Ichigo closed her eyes and idly let her mind drift back to everything that had happened in the eventful day.

Suddenly, Ichigo felt a strange, sharp pulling at the front of her mind. It felt like a string was attached to her consciousness, tugging it at intervals. The bizarre feeling made her sit up in the blanket nest and look around. None of the other mews seemed to be stirring; everyone else was asleep.

Ichigo narrowed her eyes and gazed out the window.

The déjà vu hit her like a slap in the face.

She knew this feeling. She knew _exactly_ what it was – because she had experienced it before. It was during another sleepover at Mint's mansion, over two years ago. It was the night Zakuro joined Tokyo Mew Mew. She remembered how she followed the strange tugging, the feeling of something needing to be found. Two years ago, Ichigo had wandered out into Mint's gardens, and found…

_Oh._

"Wait, but that means…" Ichigo mouthed to herself silently. She flung the duvet off of her lap and quickly, quietly stood up. Then, she tip-toed out of the mess of blankets and towards her duffel bag. She pulled out a hoodie from her bag and shrugged it over her loose camisole and leggings. She kept replaying the memory in her head over and over again, refusing to believe she was right.

The door to the bedroom creaked as Ichigo closed it behind her. The tugging on her consciousness was fainter now, slower. Ichigo tip-toed down the side stairs in her bare feet and stole out the kitchen door. She found a bucket off to one side of the door and stuck it in the doorway, so that it would stay open for her on the way back.

Her heart was beating loud in her ears as she took off across Mint's lawn. The dewdrops on the grass nipped at her bare feet. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she searched the gardens up ahead, her feline eyes adjusting to the dark of the night. She hoped the Aizawa family's security guard wouldn't find her out here on her own.

Ichigo wandered further into the vast garden paths surrounding the mansion. She could only hear the sound of her breath and the rush of blood in her ears. She was only half-sure what she was looking for, but she knew she had found it when she turned a corner, and a small gazebo came into view.

Quiche was sitting on the roof of the gazebo, cross-legged and fiddling with the dagger Ichigo recognized from the night before. He twirled it in his fingers quickly, effortlessly, and Ichigo's eyes fell on the glint of the moonlight on the metal before anything else. When Quiche's fingers came to a halt over the gilded hilt of the dagger and the movement stopped, Ichigo swallowed hard and looked up at him.

Her mind felt like it was rushing at a million miles per hour. Quiche's catlike pupils were wide in the dark of night as he studied her. His expression was smug, curious. He rested his chin on one hand.

"Lovely of you to join me, kitten."

"You!" Ichigo hissed, clenching her fists. "You figured out how to get in my head! How long have you known how to do that?"

"Mm, not long," Quiche purred. He raised his hand with the dagger and waved it away, the weapon disappearing into thin air. "I have a theory, that's all. I used it during the battle today. And I wanted to test it again."

Ichigo tilted her head to one side, struggling to wrap her mind around what he was talking about. It suddenly dawned on her that the tugging on her consciousness was the same pull she felt during the battle earlier in the day. When she was falling into unconsciousness, after she had been poisoned – she had felt a jolt of panic, and heard her name. Then, the pulling on her mind. It was one and the same with the feeling she had felt just now.

"But wait, you've done this before," Ichigo said in a loud whisper. "Here, at Mint's house. Over two years ago. You were able to get into my head then, too."

"By accident, yes," Quiche replied. He stretched his arms over his head casually. "When I found out you and the girls would be at Aizawa's place again … I couldn't resist the temptation to have a little fun reliving some memories."

He smirked down at her from his perch on the gazebo roof. Ichigo had no doubt in her mind that he was revisiting the memory of the last time they were here, in the garden of Mint's estate. They hardly knew each other then, but Ichigo remembered how Quiche had his hands all over her when he appeared suddenly and tried to steal a kiss from her in the middle of the night. It was a different time, under much different circumstances. Ichigo remembered being so confused that night, because it was the first time she realized that Quiche wasn't interested in hurting her. He could have ended her life so easily, but he chose to grab her and tease her instead, until her friends came and found them.

His harassment was still terrifying at the time, but when Ichigo revisited the memory, it felt like the first time she realized that Quiche might have actual feelings for her.

Ichigo scowled and crossed her arms. "Wait, so what is this weird brain connection, then? Does it have to do with the thing where you can hear me when I'm in trouble?"

Quiche shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know, kitten … I think your powers go a lot deeper than you think."

Ichigo furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" she asked in a murmur.

Quiche let her question hang in the air for a moment. Ichigo swallowed and watched as he straightened his back and moved his legs to jump off the gazebo. Ichigo took two steps back and crossed her arms over her chest as he landed on his feet and dusted off his hands. He was back to wearing human clothes again – a dark-colored tee and some kind of black pants. Ichigo's guard was up as Quiche walked up to her, his hands tucked in his back pockets. He stopped just a foot from her, watching her reaction carefully. Ichigo felt her face growing flushed.

The box of matches. And she was covered in gasoline. An explosion waiting to happen. The tension crackled between them as Quiche tilted his head to one side.

"No one has ever mentioned anything about feeling you were in trouble?" Quiche murmured. "Not the voice, just a feeling. None of your friends have had ... I don't know ... a _feeling_ when something was going wrong?"

Ichigo thought about it for a moment. She realized she had actually heard the mews mention something like that before. Like they could feel there was something wrong. But she had never thought it was directly related to her powers. Ichigo remembered how Ryou and Keiichiro both described a strange feeling of panic in their gut when she had fallen unconscious after the final battle with Deep Blue.

No, there were definitely others. Other people had the same connection, but maybe in slightly different ways.

"Wait, but ... but what does that mean?" Ichigo wondered aloud. She glanced off towards the mansion where she knew her friends were still sleeping peacefully. "And why…"

Ichigo's gaze snapped back to Quiche. She furrowed her brow and murmured, "...why is it so strong with you?"

Quiche shrugged lightly and raised one eyebrow. "Beats me, kitten. It's your power, after all." Ichigo pulled her hoodie tighter around her and bit her lip. She glanced back towards the mansion, thinking about all of the times her friends told her they could sense something was wrong with her. It wasn't just Masaya and Quiche, it was all of her close friends – but to different degrees, and at different times.

Ichigo was lost in thought, and jumped in surprise when she felt Quiche's fingers under her chin. She sucked in a sudden, shallow breath as he turned her face to look him in the eye. The warm flush quickly bloomed on her cheeks again. She felt her muscles stiffen. Quiche looked at her with playful curiosity.

"You know, your boyfriend had some choice words for me today," he purred. "Want to tell me about this so-called 'connection' we have? The one that's got him all riled up?"

Ichigo scowled and tore her face from his hand, stepping back. She wondered to herself what Masaya had told Quiche. But, she knew that she probably couldn't get a straight answer out of Quiche. At least, not while he was in this kind of mischievous mood.

"He's not my boyfriend," she spat, "and neither are you. If you came here to try to get something out of me now that we're broken up, you can just leave now."

She glared up at him and clenched her hands into fists. If there was one thing she was not in the mood for, it was Quiche's stupid mind games.

"Aw, come on – you always assume the worst of me, don't you, kitten?" Quiche whined. "Aoyama seems to think the worst of me, too. It's okay, I don't take it personally."

He smirked and crossed his arms. Ichigo watched his eyes flick up and down over her appearance just briefly. She was about to tell him to go away, but he let out a "hmm" of amusement. "I was wondering where that jacket went," he remarked. "The esteemed leader of Tokyo Mew Mew is not just good at keeping secrets, but also good at keeping other people's stuff. What a twist."

Ichigo glanced down at the hoodie she was wearing and felt her face grow bright red. She realized it was Quiche's hoodie. The one he gave her the night he walked her home from the café two weeks ago. She hadn't recognized it when she was hurriedly packing her overnight bag.

She felt like ripping it off and giving it back, but she wasn't wearing much underneath. She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to pack her embarrassment away in her mind.

"I– I didn't–" she stammered, "I'll give it back! I just–"

"Mm, don't worry," Quiche hummed. He took a step closer. Ichigo flinched as he lifted his hand to grasp one of the drawstrings on the hood. He toyed with it between his fingers. His fingertips were inches from her face as he regarded her with playful eyes. "It's yours now."

Ichigo let out an exasperated sigh and looked back towards the mansion. She hoped the mews hadn't woken up and discovered her absence. She didn't know what they would think if they found her out here, with Quiche. She was glad to know about the strange mind connection, but now she knew they had work to do. She knew she had to talk to Ryou and Keiichiro about whatever it was in her abilities as a mew that allowed her to have a mind connection with the people close to her. But, that could wait until morning.

"I'm going back to bed," Ichigo declared, turning her attention back towards Quiche. He dropped the string of the hoodie from his fingertips and returned his hands to his pockets. Ichigo resented how stupidly _cute_ he looked with his head turned to one side, with that dumb, happy look on his face – like he was trying to memorize every inch of her. She had to remind herself that it was _entirely_ inappropriate that they were even talking at that moment, mere hours after her breakup with Masaya.

"Can I come?" Quiche said with a grin.

_Damn it._

Ichigo rolled her eyes and turned to leave. Quiche caught her wrist as she turned. Ichigo glanced back at him with equal parts frustration and surprise. Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

"It's funny," Quiche started, "how in just fourteen days, you've managed to be such an awfully fickle cat. But, you know, you're always free to make your own decisions."

Ichigo realized he was thinking back on the conversation they had the night he had walked her home from her shift at the café – the night he gave her the jacket she was wearing now. Everything was so different. Everything had happened so fast. Fourteen days practically felt like four months. The gala, the fight with Masaya, the engagement, the kiss with Quiche on the roof, the breakup – all of it had happened in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

" _You're always free to make your own decisions."_

"You're right," Ichigo replied quietly. She smiled lightly and raised her chin. "And this time, I choose me."

Quiche hesitated for a moment, thinking carefully. Then, a wide smile spread across his face. His grip slipped from her wrist to her hand. "Good," he said, squeezing her fingers.

Ichigo was half-expecting Quiche to argue with her. His reaction surprised her, and she furrowed her brow. Her confusion only seemed to further amuse Quiche, his grin widening.

"But you know," he continued slyly, "I'm not going anywhere, kitten. In fact, I think we're on the schedule together tomorrow afternoon."

Ichigo let out a long sigh and shook her head in mock annoyance. She couldn't help but smile slightly at Quiche's attempt to lighten the mood by talking about the café. "I'll swap with another one of the girls, then," she replied coyly, pulling her hand from Quiche's grip. She folded her hands behind her and took a few steps backwards. "Try not to make a mess of the place without me there."

Ichigo tore her gaze away from Quiche and began to walk back to the mansion, her bare feet numb from the cold grass tickling her skin. She breathed in a deep breath of the cold, crisp night air and smiled wide.

She should have known it wouldn't be that easy to leave. It was never easy with Quiche.

"Hey, Ichigo," he called from a few steps behind her.

Ichigo turned and glanced back. Quiche was watching her with his hands behind his head and a sly grin on his face. His bright gold eyes almost glittered in the dim light of the gardens. Ichigo readied a retort – something to the effect of "wipe that stupid grin off your face" – but she watched the air around him grow distorted, and he disappeared.

Ichigo flinched and whirled around, anticipating what she knew was about to happen. Sure enough, Quiche reappeared next to her in the next instant. Before she knew what was happening, Quiche leaned down and planted a firm, warm kiss on her cheek.

He took two steps back and grinned even wider as Ichigo stood frozen in place. She felt like she could melt into the ground, her face burning with warmth. She clenched her hands into fists, not knowing how to react. She didn't know whether to be furious with him, or simply pretend the kiss didn't affect her as much as she knew it did. Luckily, she didn't have to find the words.

"Thanks for the kiss," Quiche purred. He turned, and in the next moment, he had disappeared into thin air once again.

Ichigo let out a long sigh and rubbed the side of her face where his lips had just been. "Idiot," she muttered to herself spitefully. Her whole body felt warm, despite the cold of the night air outside. Her walk back to the mansion was spent putting the stolen kiss out of her mind, and trying to decide whether or not she wanted to give back the hoodie.

When Ichigo finally crawled back into the nest of blankets, she felt like she was finally tired enough to sleep. The cold pillow in her corner of the blanket nest felt blissfully good on her warm, flushed skin. She had just pulled the duvet up to her chest when Lettuce turned over on her side to face her. Lettuce cracked one eye and looked up at Ichigo.

Ichigo stiffened.

"Can't sleep?" Lettuce whispered.

Ichigo nodded and let out a long breath. "You could say that," she whispered back. She smiled and sunk further into her pillow.

The corners of Lettuce's lips turned up. She reached out from under her duvet and took Ichigo's hand in hers. Ichigo smiled, but her smile quickly fell as she saw Lettuce furrow her brow.

"Your hands are freezing," she remarked quietly. Her bright blue eyes, still heavy with sleep, found Ichigo with a worried gaze. "Were you … outside?"

Ichigo considered what she should say to Lettuce. In the spirit of honesty that Ichigo had adopted over the past two days, she told her the truth.

"Yeah," Ichigo whispered. "I had a weird feeling, and I had to follow it. Like I needed to find something I lost."

Lettuce searched her expression just briefly before her eyes closed again. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she murmured.

Ichigo's hand was already warmer in Lettuce's loose, gentle grasp. She lifted her head just briefly to look around at all of her friends dozing off in the giant blanket nest.

She thought of everything they had been together, everything she had taken for granted. Everything she had almost lost. Everything she had come to love even more. Her friends, her city, her home.

Tomorrow was a new day. Full of possibility. Full of hope. A whole new world, to be whoever she wanted.

Ichigo smiled and squeezed Lettuce's hand.

"Yeah, I did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left – the epilogue! Woohoo!~
> 
> I want to do a big shoutout to all of my repeat commenters. I have a bunch of you who have been with me practically since chapter 1. It means SO much to me that I have so many amazing, kind, and sweet readers I get to hear from almost every update.
> 
> Huge thank you to: Moonshrooms, Serenade_Bleue, FairyRingsandWings, antioedipus, FrozenGhost, Creepykai, Asellus, baetrixv, KrysMcScience, countingpaths, and every other commenter that has ever left me words of encouragement. Every comment means the world to me, so thank you! And big thank you to everyone leaving kudos on this work. This fic is currently one of the most popular chapter-fics for this fandom on Ao3 (and the most commented-on non-crossover TMM fic of all time) and I couldn't have written it without all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!


	23. For the Future of the Universe [Epilogue]

* * *

**Four Months Later**

* * *

_Dear Aoyama,_

_I was really glad to get your letter this week! Being pen pals is such a fun idea. I hope this letter isn't too slow getting to you all the way from across the world!_

_I'm happy to hear your summer internship has been going well. I hope you've been able to enjoy yourself over the summer, too. Classes are starting up again next week, right? Are you still super nervous about your genetics class?_

_Things have been great here in Tokyo! The café has been as busy as ever this summer. I've been able to do some traveling in between work, though! I was actually able to go to New York City for my 18th birthday. It was super fun!_

_Anyway, I hope you're having a great time in England, and I wish you all the best with school starting up again soon. Stay in touch, and don't work too hard. I know you get sometimes. Don't forget to have fun._

– _xo,  
Ichigo_

… sigh.

She'd read the letter ten times over already. She knew she'd keep second-guessing every word if she didn't stop now.

Ichigo folded up the letter and tucked it in its envelope. She licked the seal and closed it with care, then triple-checked the address on the front. Smiling, she tossed the letter in the outgoing mail bin next to Ryou's desk in the café basement.

Ryou glanced up briefly from his laptop. He looked down at the mail bin and raised an eyebrow.

"Writing letters to an ex?" he remarked. "Did he lose his phone? Seems shady, Momomiya."

Ichigo crossed her arms defensively. "We're pen pals, Shirogane," she muttered. "Only middle schoolers and insecure people are weird about their exes."

Ryou let out a snort of laughter. He took off his reading glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Sure, Momomiya," he replied, smirking. He replaced his glasses and leaned back in his desk chair, "...and only middle schoolers have pen pals. Aren't you supposed to be working? It's not 3PM yet."

"I know, I know," Ichigo sighed. "I almost forgot to mail that letter, so I wanted to drop it off before I close my last check. I didn't want it to sit in my bag the whole week." She glanced up at the clock on the wall. _2:56. Almost time to go._

When Ichigo glanced back at Ryou, he was watching the clock, too. He let out a long breath of air and refocused. "So, we're all meeting in the back for a few minutes after 3, right? To see all of you off?"

"Right," Ichigo confirmed, smiling. She folded her hands behind her back. "I just have to finish up my last table, and then I'll get changed and meet you out back behind the café. I think Lettuce and Pudding have already clocked out."

Ryou nodded. "Well, get going then!" he said. He waved Ichigo off with one hand. "Before I change my mind about all of you missing work for a week."

Ichigo grinned and whirled around. Scurrying up the basement stairs, she felt a skip in her step and a nervous energy jumping in her stomach. When she reached the top of the steps, she saw Mint leaving the break room. She was re-tying the bow of her apron when she caught Ichigo's eye.

"You know," Mint started, "you owe me big time for this. Covering your shifts, _and_ lying to your parents about where you are? I'll be expecting to get all of your tips for the next month."

"The next _month?"_ Ichigo exclaimed. "Mint! That's ridiculous!"

"Make it two months," Mint said with a smirk. She put her hands on her hips. "I'll see you out back in a few minutes?"

Ichigo sighed and rolled her eyes. It was hard to stay mad at her friend, especially when she was doing her such a big favor.

Ichigo smiled and nodded. "I just have to close out this check and get changed. I'll be right there!"

Mint nodded and strode into the dining area, greeting the patrons just seated in Ichigo's section. Ichigo drifted into the kitchen alcove and pulled out her last table's check. She rang it up in the register and counted out the change. _Last table for a while,_ she thought to herself as she dropped the coins in her hand. _I could use the break._

The summer had been full of busy days at the café and long summer nights with her friends. After her breakup with Masaya, Ichigo had talked to him on the phone a few times. It was nothing more than pleasantries and asking each other about their lives, but Ichigo felt they were close to rekindling a warm sort of friendship. It made her happy to know there was no resentment between them. Masaya's summer internship with a research center in Manchester had been keeping him busy. He already had a post-graduation job offer from a conservatory in London. Ichigo was proud of him. She knew he was destined for great things.

Quiche, Pie and Tart returned to their planet for a couple weeks over the summer, to straighten out some diplomatic issues that had come up in their absence and meet with the other princes. Ichigo noticed how quiet it was in the café while they were gone. The three boys really felt like part of Tokyo Mew Mew. Pie had recently moved out of the café and into his own apartment downtown. Lettuce spent a lot of her time there after work. The two recently announced to their friends that they were officially a couple ... to no one's surprise. When the three boys weren't working at the café, they spent their time getting to know the city, and generally pestering the mews.

Quiche had made good on his promise to Ichigo that he wasn't going anywhere. His persistence was irritating at first, while Ichigo's breakup was still fresh. But Ichigo found herself slower to pull away from his touch, and smiling a little more at his attempts to flirt at work. On her 18th birthday, Quiche arranged for Lettuce and Pie to join them on a double date of sorts, where the two alien boys brought Ichigo and Lettuce to explore the lights and sounds of New York City. Ichigo had always wanted to visit the American city, and even though none of them spoke very good English, the four of them had a grand time splitting giant pizzas, sneaking into the observatory of the Empire State Building, and wandering around Times Square at night.

Now, as the summer was coming to a close, Ichigo hummed to herself as she tapped away at the cash register and thought about the adventure she was about to embark on. The three alien boys had invited the girls of Tokyo Mew Mew to come with them on their next trip to their home planet. After many long, serious talks with Ryou and Keiichiro, the mews all agreed that it would be best to send half of the team – Ichigo, Lettuce and Pudding – with the three boys, so that Tokyo Mew Mew could keep the café running and not have their entire defense team gone at once. Ryou and Keiichiro agreed that it would be good for the mews to establish a relationship with the alien government Quiche, Pie and Tart belonged to. After all, if they were establishing an alliance, it made sense for the girls of Tokyo Mew Mew to get to know the culture and people of the planet they were helping.

Ichigo was nervous for the trip, but her anxiety came with a twinge of excitement. She was glad she was going with Lettuce and Pudding, two of her closest friends. It was a new adventure, a new place, and nothing any human had ever experienced before. The mews were so close to the alien boys that Ichigo felt no sense of danger in accompanying them.

The only danger came from Ichigo's relationship with Quiche – Ichigo couldn't help but think of their conversation the night before her breakup with Masaya. Quiche's offer to give her anything she had ever wanted. Any life she could dream of. " _I could even make you a princess, if you wanted."_

Ichigo knew this trip was tempting fate. Striking matches near dynamite. It would be hard to dance around how she felt about Quiche while they were bound to be around each other all the time. She knew whatever protective wall she had up in her mind was going to crack.

The cash drawer clicked shut just as Ichigo felt a hand curl around her waist. _Speak of the devil._

"What are you still doing here?" Quiche purred in her ear. Ichigo held her breath and felt her face growing hot. "We're supposed to be leaving soon. The other girls are waiting out back."

Ichigo let out a breath and looked up at him with a look of fake indignation. "This is my last check – why are _you_ here? One of the guests is going to see you."

Ichigo reached up and flicked the tip of one of Quiche's ears with a finger. His ears were nearly back to their original size; all of the alien boys had stopped taking the shots of masking elixir in anticipation for their trip.

Quiche flinched, then snatched Ichigo's wrist out of the air. He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and his trademark smirk.

 _That stupid smirk._ Ichigo had resented it before, but now, it just made her blush.

Mint rounded the corner of the kitchen hall, drawing Ichigo and Quiche's attention. She rolled her eyes and groaned as she walked past them towards the freezer. Ichigo tore her wrist out of Quiche's grasp, embarrassed.

"Could you two save it for your trip?" Mint sighed. She pulled out a pre-made frozen dessert from the giant freezer and began to garnish it with whipped cream. "You really couldn't wait 20 minutes?"

"Mint!" Ichigo squeaked. "It's not like that!"

"It's _totally_ like that," Quiche sang, slipping his hand from her waist. He waltzed backwards out of the kitchen alcove and into the back hall. He grinned at Ichigo and held his hands behind his head. "See you soon, kitten."

Ichigo clenched her fists at her side and let out a frustrated sigh. Her face was hot. She was sure she was red as a tomato. She recounted the change from her last check and shook her head.

"I swear, that idiot is going to drive me crazy," Ichigo muttered. She printed the receipt for the table's check and tore it from the register. When she looked up, Mint was already smirking at her with a knowing look.

"You like him."

Ichigo's blush deepened.

"I-I…I have to go finish my last table," Ichigo stammered. She turned on her heel and marched out of the kitchen. She could only hope her face would cool down on her walk through the dining room.

Ichigo rushed to change in the café restroom after dropping off her last table's check. She'd packed an overstuffed duffel bag for the week. Quiche had told her not to pack too much, since they'd have wardrobes waiting for the girls when they arrived. But Ichigo was a girl who loved her creature comforts, and packed more than a few sweaters, leggings and shoes anyway. She threw a couple dresses in her bag for good measure, just in case. Her mom and dad thought she was staying at Mint's vacation home in Hawaii for the week. She made a mental note to fake some selfies somewhere inconspicuous with Lettuce and Pudding during her trip.

Once Ichigo was changed into a day dress and tennis shoes, she slipped out of the café bathroom and hauled her giant duffel out to the back door. She used her back to push the door open, then tossed the bag off to her side on the grass outside. When she looked up, Ichigo saw that nearly everyone was already gathered outside, waiting. She had packed the most stuff by far. Lettuce was carrying a small rolling bag, and Pudding had only a backpack.

Ichigo grinned sheepishly as her friends eyed her bag.

"Did no one tell you to pack light?" Pie remarked with one raised eyebrow.

"I–uh, it's not that bad!" Ichigo insisted, crossing her arms defensively. "I just brought a few extra things!"

"Like your entire wardrobe?" Ryou said. Ichigo made a face at her boss. The door swung open again, and Mint and Keiichiro strode out.

"Headed out?" Keiichiro asked with a smile. He tossed a tea towel over his shoulder and wiped his hands off on his apron. "We'll miss all of you girls!"

"Yeah, don't have too much fun without us!" Berry added from her spot beside Ryou.

"This trip isn't about fun," Ryou corrected. "It's about diplomacy. I expect you girls to be on your best behavior. You'll be representatives of not just Tokyo Mew Mew, but of the people of Earth. Use your brains, and don't get into too much trouble."

"Geez, _dad_ , thanks for the pep talk!" Pudding whined, slumping her shoulders. "We're gonna have fun whether you like it or not!"

Ryou opened his mouth like he was about to argue with the youngest mew, but stopped as the air next to Pie shimmered. Quiche appeared, stepping onto the grass and twirling what looked like a ring of keys.

"The ship is booting up – we should be good to go in a few," he said to Pie. His gaze fell on Ichigo, then on her bag. "Hey kitten, nice of you to finally join us ... now please tell me that's not your bag."

Ichigo rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in frustration. "Ugh, why is everyone so concerned about what I pack? It's none of your business!"

"It's our business when it weighs down the ship," Tart remarked. He put his hands on his hips. "Now can we get going already? We're gonna be late if you all keep blabbing with each other."

Quiche walked over to Ichigo's duffel and picked it up. He swung it over his shoulder with a groan. "Ugh, what did you pack in here? Your rock collection? A whole bookcase?"

Ichigo elbowed him in the ribs. Quiche snickered and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ichigo didn't shrug him off, choosing to roll her eyes at him instead.

"Ready to go, everyone?" Quiche asked with a grin. Ichigo looked to Lettuce and Pudding, then nodded. Her face brightened with an eager smile.

"Ready!" Pudding chirped.

"Ready," Lettuce said with a long, content sigh.

"Let's go!" Ichigo cheered. Lettuce, Pudding and Ichigo exchanged hugs with the rest of the team and waved goodbye. Each of the girls took hold of the hands of one of the alien boys. With a deep breath, Ichigo said goodbye to Earth, closed her eyes, and felt the ground disappear from beneath her feet. The feeling was familiar to her by now, and she felt less dizzy as her thick, unbound hair gently whipped around her face.

When Ichigo finally began to get her bearings, she heard the sound of a metallic "clack" as her shoes touched steel. She opened her eyes.

The hallway in front of her was all slick, dark metal with low, dimly-lit ceilings. Some kind of electronic panel was off to her left, with an LCD screen displaying something in a language she didn't understand. All around her, green and blue light reflected all around the cylindrical hallway. Ahead of her was what looked like the cockpit – and in the window, she could see the vast, blue surface of Earth as they hovered above her home planet.

Ichigo felt stunned in place. The view of Earth – her Earth – was absolutely breathtaking.

Pudding rushed past her with a cry of, "Woah! This is so freaking cool!" She plopped down in one of the pilot's chairs and flipped open the cover to the controls on her armrest.

Tart followed quickly behind, yelling, "Hey! Don't touch that!"

Pie and Lettuce followed Tart. Lettuce murmured something to Pie – too quiet for Ichigo to hear. Pie chuckled and looked down at Lettuce like she was the sun. Ichigo smiled to herself as she watched them walk hand-in-hand.

"So, what do you think?" Quiche asked from beside her. Ichigo blinked and turned her attention to Quiche. He patted one of the control panels in the hall proudly. "She's a beautiful ship, right? I've been working on fixing her up all summer." He practically beamed with pride.

Ichigo furrowed her brow. She was beginning to understand that Quiche's obsession with his ship was not unlike a teenage boy's obsession with their car. In truth, the ship felt a little too sterile for her liking. She produced a grin that felt more like a grimace. "I mean, it seems nice? Maybe you can give me the grand tour later."

"Why, of course," Quiche said with a grin. "But first, you're going to take her for a spin."

He grabbed Ichigo's wrist and began to lead her down the hall and towards the cockpit. "Wait, what?" Ichigo cried, trotting along with Quiche to keep up. "You mean like, driving this thing? I can't even drive a car!"

"I'll teach you," Quiche said confidently. "It's easy, you'll see."

The two reached the cockpit of the ship. Quiche guided Ichigo to sit in what she gathered was the captain's chair. The swiveling chair was upholstered in stiff, maroon-colored leather. Ichigo felt like a child sitting in its wide seat.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ichigo muttered. Her eyes swept over the vast array of multicolored knobs, switches and buttons on the control panel in front of her.

"Quiche, _no,_ " Pie scolded from behind her. "Absolutely not."

"C'mon, Pie, lighten up," Quiche whined. He perched on the armrest of the captain's chair next to Ichigo. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We crash the goddman ship into the asteroid belt on the way out, that's what!" Tart exclaimed. "I wouldn't trust the old hag to ride a bike!"

"Hey, you take that back!" Ichigo yelled, glaring up at Tart. She felt the heat of a challenge burning at her neck. She turned to Quiche, "Now how do you turn this thing on?"

Quiche smirked and let out a low laugh. "I knew you had it in you, kitten," he purred. He pointed to a series of green buttons in a row above an LED panel. "Press the first, second, and fifth buttons and leave them alone until they stop flashing."

Ichigo reached up to the panel and did as he instructed. A low hum emanated from below the cockpit.

"Uh, Ichigo?" Lettuce interjected anxiously. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Nope!" Ichigo chirped, feeling a mix of adrenaline and reckless confidence surging through her chest. She noticed all of the lights on the panel had gone still. She looked up at Quiche. "Okay, now what?"

"I'll do this part," Quiche said, amusement oozing from his tone. He reached over Ichigo and tapped on the screen. It lit up with more words in a language Ichigo didn't recognize. Quiche's slim fingers moved nimbly over the screen, quickly tapping a sequence of options from a complicated-looking menu. Ichigo's cheek was up against the warmth of his chest as he leaned over her. A hint of cloves mingled with the scent of the leather chair.

"Okay, course is set," Quiche murmured, drawing away from the control panel. He glanced down at Ichigo and pointed to a handle in front of her. "When you're ready, grab the throttle there and push it up. Slowly."

Ichigo gingerly placed her hand on the throttle. Its grip was too big for her to close her fingers around. She exhaled slowly and looked over at Lettuce and Pudding, who were watching off to her side. Pudding gave her two thumbs up and giggled, unfazed. Lettuce grinned nervously – her best attempt at being encouraging.

An amusing thought presented itself in Ichigo's head. A grin broke out over her face. "Should I say the thing?" she asked her friends.

"Wait, what thing?" Tart asked incredulously.

"Ooo! Yeah! Say the thing! The Tokyo Mew Mew thing!" Pudding chirped. She bounced up and down in the co-pilot's chair and clapped her hands.

Lettuce let out a snort of laughter and nodded, "Sure, why not?"

Ichigo nodded. She drummed her fingers on the grip of the handle and sucked in a breath.

"For the future of the universe…!"

"Are you kidding? _This_ stupid catchphrase?"

"Shut it, Tart!" Quiche barked.

"...Tokyo Mew Mew will be of service, nya!~"

Ichigo pushed on the throttle – hard. The entire ship shot forward with a lurch. Earth disappeared behind them in the blink of an eye.

And just like that, Tokyo Mew Mew went screaming and tumbling into their next adventure across the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finishing this story is SO bittersweet. I want to say thank you again to everyone past and present for reading this fic all the way through to the end. I hope you’ve loved this journey just as much as I’ve loved writing it.
> 
> Now, on to the fun part – what I write next. :)
> 
> I am by no means planning on quitting writing for this fandom. You all are too much fun to write for, and I’m not planning on getting out of this middle-school-regression phase anytime soon, lol. Indulge in some nostalgia with me and help me pick what TMM fic I write next.
> 
> Option 1: I write the sequel for this fic. It picks off pretty much immediately after this epilogue and goes /deep/ into all of the nerdy lore of the alien planet, political intrigue, and touches of royal/fantasy drama. It will be rated M for reasons you can probably guess (spoiler alert: the reasons are smut. Like, a few detailed scenes of it, which I know you all have been asking for, lol). It will be overall a little more mature than Fickle Fourteen. I’m 99% sure everyone who’s liked Fickle Fourteen will adore the sequel.
> 
> Option 2: I write another, totally new chapter-fic I have about half-outlined that takes place smack in the middle of the original Tokyo Mew Mew canon, when everyone is still fighting each other. I don’t want to give away too much of the fic, but it’s a darker, sultry slow-burn Kishigo (of course) where Ichigo is forced to make alliances with the aliens for an antidote after she is poisoned by a chimera during a battle. Think hurt/comfort, sickfic, classic enemies to lovers – ALSO would be rated M for *cough* reasons. This fic would not require anyone to know anything about some of the lesser-known parts of TMM canon (like a la Mode or Re-Turn), so it could have a lower barrier to entry to read than Fickle Fourteen.
> 
> Option 3: I take a break from chapter-fics and write a couple one-shots. I have a few ideas kicking around in my head for smaller pieces of fic. Do you want to see more bite-sized stories from me? Let me know!
> 
> Picking one of these over the other doesn’t mean I don’t write the other two – I’m just trying to figure out what idea to flesh out next! Please, please let me know what you’d love to read.
> 
> And as always, please leave any last thoughts on Fickle Fourteen! Thank you again to all of my wonderful readers from the past few months. You all are wonderful and so inspiring.
> 
> Cheers, and on to the next story!~


End file.
